6 months ago
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Dispelling fears among farmers and residents that the connection to found a SIPCOT concern parkland successful Bhavanisagar artifact successful the territory is inactive alive, officials person said that the task was shelved successful 2022 pursuing beardown objections implicit the large-scale demolition of fertile cultivation onshore and sustained nationalist resistance.
The State authorities had projected mounting up the concern parkland connected 1,078 acres spanning the villages of Sungakaranpalayam (80 acres), Panayampalli (304 acres) and Kurumbapalayam (694 acres). Of this, much than 450 acres comprised groundwater-irrigated farmland, portion the remaining country was rain-fed. The Bhavanisagar Dam is situated hardly 5 kilometres from Sungakaranpalayam, and the Vilamundi Reserve Forest lies astir 500 metres away. Two lakes, Pungampalli and Nallur, recharged nether the Athikadavu–Avinashi project, are besides located successful adjacent proximity to these villages.
Political parties, farmers, traders and residents had mounted beardown absorption to the proposal, citing large-scale groundwater contamination astir the SIPCOT concern property successful Perundurai. Alarmed by the imaginable of irreversible biology harm and groundwater pollution, stakeholders powerfully resisted the move, yet forcing the authorities to shelve the project.
However, unrest resurfaced aft a caller reply from the SIPCOT absorption to a farmer, stating that establishing concern parks crossed districts is simply a argumentation determination of the State authorities and that inspections had been carried retired successful Sungakaranpalayam and Kurumbapalayam villages. This triggered anxiousness among farmers and residents.
T. Subbu, territory caput of the Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam, said groundwater successful implicit 40 villages surrounding Perundurai SIPCOT had been contaminated and the harm was irreversible. “We believed the task was dropped owed to stiff absorption and we fearfulness the concern parkland volition contaminate groundwater crossed the full region,” helium said.
Farmer P. Ravi of Panayampalli echoed the concern, pointing retired that the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board had declared 38 h2o sources crossed 4 panchayats successful the Chennimalai Panchayat Union unfit for drinking owed to contamination. “The territory already has a SIPCOT astatine Perundurai, and establishing different present volition impact the dam water,” said nonmigratory R. Ramesh. While apprehensions were besides raised astir imaginable contamination of h2o successful Bhavanisagar Dam, immoderate locals noted that the 3 villages are located downstream of the dam, making specified contamination unlikely.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) Erode North territory caput S. Mohan Kumar said air, h2o and ungraded astir Perundurai SIPCOT had been severely polluted and that determination was nary assurance a akin concern would not recur successful Bhavanisagar. He noted that galore farmers had planned to excavation wells aft the 2 lakes were refilled nether the Athikadavu–Avinashi project.
Former Bhavanisagar MLA P.L. Sundaram said an all-party gathering would beryllium convened connected January 5 astatine Punjai Puliyampatti to walk a solution demanding that the task beryllium permanently scrapped. “A signature run volition besides beryllium launched successful each villages to rise awareness,” helium said, adding that nether the onshore slope scheme, the authorities archetypal identifies onshore and aboriginal proceeds with acquisition.
When contacted, a SIPCOT authoritative told The Hindu that the task had so been dropped successful 2022 aft concerns were raised implicit the onshore acquisition. The authoritative besides clarified that portion the onshore was inspected astatine that time, nary caller survey oregon inspection activities had been undertaken.
