2 months ago
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Cumbum Assembly Constituency, portion of fertile Theni district, is 1 among the 5 confederate districts to payment from the Mullaperiyar dam built by Col. Pennicuick.
However, the farmers present accidental that the grievances person ne'er been addressed by the politicians, who marque gangly promises lone during the canvass clip and hide conveniently for the adjacent 5 years.
Since May 2021, however galore times did the Chief Minister oregon Minister for Water Resources oregon the Secretary to the authorities (WRD) would person visited the Mullaperiyar dam oregon astatine slightest the Cumbum vale and addressed the farmers, asks Ponkatchi Kannan, a subordinate of the Periyar Vaigai Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam.
Speaking to The Hindu, helium said that from expanding the retention level to 152 feet, felling the 14 trees and to let the Tamil Nadu officials wrong the reservoir and among others for upkeep astatine periodic intervals, thing tangible had been done by the Tamil Nadu government.
This was not the lawsuit with Kerala, helium says.
The officials and ministers from the PWD, Tourism and Forests successful Kerala authorities visited Mullaperiyar dam and had taken a fig of steps to payment the people, the farmers and visitors, helium said and added that the Tamil Nadu authorities is accountable and cannot springiness immoderate excuse that the enactment regarding the reservoir was being monitored by the apex court.
The Cumbum sitting MLA N Ramakrishnan has affluent acquisition and understands the problems faced by the ryots here.
“But, helium has not done thing to the farmers’ conflict successful the past 5 years,” said a husbandman Subbiah from Alagapuri.
“I americium a sympathiser of the DMK. I similar Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. But, the enactment and the authorities had not responded arsenic it should person to the farmers here,” helium added.
Luckily, owed to the bully southwest monsoon, the dam received copious h2o and hence, the farmers’ were capable to get it from the reservoir and transportation connected with their workplace activities.
“If determination had been nary rain, not conscionable Theni, but each the different 4 confederate districts - Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram -may person gone dry,” helium claimed.
Only the precocious Chief Minister Jayalalithaa approached the apex tribunal and got the retention level accrued to 142 feet, but from past onwards, the successive DMK authorities failed to utilise the accidental and could person enhanced.
“Chief Minister M.K. Stalin should person held talks with his counterpart successful Kerala and got the retention level increased. If determination was a cordial narration betwixt the 2 States and the contented was solved, the tribunal would not person interfered astatine all,” helium argued.
Because of the deficiency of governmental volition from the Tamil Nadu government, the judiciary had to measurement successful and show the situation. The farmers are thoroughly upset successful the 5 confederate districts implicit the lackadaisical cognition of the DMK and its enactment for not giving a imperishable solution to the reservoir row,” helium said.
Countering the statement of the farmers, CPI (M) territory secretariat subordinate and country caput (Cumbum) K.R. Lenin said that the farmers had been getting h2o from the reservoir and determination has been nary contented implicit raising their crops.
“The retention level has to beryllium increased, nary doubt. But, the apex tribunal is monitoring and has formed the supervisory committee and the sub-committee to transportation retired the task comprising members from some Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments. Thus, the farmers should not politicise the issue,” helium added.
Mr. Ramakrishnan has done a plentifulness of works connected the wellness beforehand for the radical here. The Government Hospital has surely got a facelift with immense funds coming successful from some the Centre and Tamil Nadu governments. The roads connected main-thoroughfare and adjacent successful the taluks and panchayats person been laid. Potable h2o is not an issue.
However, helium admitted that the authorities could person established a assemblage oregon a polytechnic assemblage successful Cumbum which would person benefitted the students. When the Tamil Nadu authorities had done truthful overmuch welfare, Mr. Stalin would decidedly see the request to unfastened a assemblage present and the Communist Party would instrumentality it forward, helium assured.
A progressive husbandman Shankaranarayanan successful Uthamapalayam said that the authorities should found an concern property done SIDCO oregon SIPCOT present which would payment the agripreneurs to acceptable up units.
Many worth summation products from the agriculture and horticulture crops could beryllium produced present successful the estate.
Currently, the farmers sold them without immoderate worth addition. With truthful overmuch exertion disposable connected hand, finished products from fruits and vegetables could fetch higher net and besides unfastened up occupation opportunities.
The migration of younker from the autochthonal towns could beryllium stopped to a ample extent.
The acold retention facilities would payment horticulture crops to sphere the commodities and merchantability them erstwhile the markets were premier and successful demand. In the lack of immoderate specified facilities, the farmers were compelled to merchantability them to the merchants.
The farmers’ besides said that contempt repeated appeals to assistance incorporate the animal-human conflict, the wood section had done thing large for them. The lone elephant menace successful Thevaram was ne'er taken seriously. Loss of lives had not been compensated arsenic demanded by the families, they alleged.
Having won 4 times (1989, 2006, 2011 and 2021) successful the wide elections and erstwhile successful a by-poll successful 2009, Mr. Ramakrishnan had mislaid lone erstwhile successful 2016.
Known to the electorate arsenic a non-controversial politician, helium is assured of a triumph this clip arsenic well, his supporters say.
However, his hostile (AIADMK) STK Jakkayan, besides a elder and a autochthonal of Theni district, is definite to measurement into the Assembly this time, his run managers said.
“People are disappointed with the DMK rule. The farmers’ woes would beryllium solved lone by the AIADMK authorities nether the enactment of Edappadi K Palaniswami,” they say.
The NTK and TVK candidates - Anbu Selvi and PLA Jaganath are besides hopeful of making a people successful this predetermination arsenic they consciousness that the voters are disgusted with the 2 Dravidian parties.
