Tiruchi-Thanjavur farmers resent release of surplus water into the Coleroon

Farmers on the border of Thanjavur-Tiruchi districts, who depend on the ‘Kattalimettu Kalvai’ and the ‘Uyyakondan Neetippu Kalvai’, for irrigation resented the release of huge quantity of water into the Kollidam at Mukkombu.

Staging a demonstration on the barren bed of ‘Miniyan’ lake at Palayapatti near Sengipatti on Saturday, farmers, led by V. Jeevakumar, a progressive farmer from Budalur, raised slogans demanding the diversion of a portion of around 50,000 cusecs of ‘surplus’ water, which is being released into the Kollidam, into the Kattalaimettu Kalvai and Uyyakondan Extension Canal.

Diversion of the ‘surplus’ water from the Mayanur barrage would help fill more than 80 medium and small lakes that exist in Sengipatti region, which reels under severe water shortage wherein the cattle were hit.

They had stressed their long-pending demand for creation of new canals to link their area with the Grand Anicut Canal that pass through Budalur block.