Farmers stage dharna at WRO office demanding surplus water release in Radhapuram Channel

Farmers laid siege to the Water Resources Organisation’s (WRO) bureau astatine Vadakkankulam successful the territory connected Thursday demanding the merchandise of Petchiparai dam’s surplus h2o successful Radhapuram Channel arsenic prescribed by the Tamil Nadu Government for filling-up 52 systemized irrigation tanks successful Radhapuram taluk.

The protesting farmers said the surplus h2o of Petchiparai dam, which is going discarded into the oversea via Pazhaiyar River, should beryllium diverted from Thovalai Channel to Radhapuram Channel for feeding the 52 irrigation tanks arsenic per the authorities bid to amended groundwater array and prevention the crops raised connected implicit 15,000 acres.

Even though the h2o is going discarded into the sea, the WRO officials, who person to divert 150 cusecs of surplus h2o to Radhapuram Channel, are refusing to divert the h2o to Radhapuram Channel and defying the authorities order, the protesting farmers complained.

When Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu released the surplus h2o successful Radhapuram Channel astatine Nilappaarai successful mid-June this twelvemonth pursuing the authorities order, it was said that the merchandise of h2o to Radhapuram would beryllium sustained till October-end. “However, the “officials’ ploy” has denied america water”, alleged the farmers.

The WRO officials of Tirunelveli territory said their colleagues successful Kanniyakumari district, who are keen connected fulfilling the irrigation needs of their district, are against the merchandise of h2o from Thovaalai Channel astatine Nilapparai to Radhapuram Channel. “Since the indirect hurdles being created by them has drastically dwindled the quantity of h2o being released successful Radhapuram Channel, the beneficiary areas are suffering a lot,” a WRO authoritative said.