In the wake of the Election Commission of India (ECI) granting approval for undertaking desilting works in the PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project) Canal system from the angle of Model Code of Conduct (MCC), farmers in Tiruppur district are awaiting a rapid response from the State Government for undertaking desilting works for providing at least two wettings for the Second Zone command area of the PAP Main Canal to salvage the drying coconut trees.
The ECI has stated that it has no objection to the proposal for conducting desilting works in Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts at a cost of ₹14.97 crore subject to the condition that no political mileage shall be taken by anyone, and all the MCC provisions shall be strictly adhered to.
The money is meant to be utilised for carrying out desilting works before release of water for the command areas in second and third zones.
At present, the farmers are purchasing water at high costs for wetting the crops, as there is no indication as yet whether the Water Resources Department (WRD) would effect release any time soon, in view of the depleted storage positions.
Water release for the second zone, which should have been carried out by August 15, is pending due to delays in the completion of desilting and maintenance works.
According to official data, the combined storage in the PAP system reservoirs — Sholayar, Parambikulam, Thunakkadavu and Peruvaripallam, Aliyar and Thirumoorthy Dams — is a little over 10.5 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic) feet, which is lesser by over 11 TMC at the same time last year.
Given this situation, speedy execution of maintenance works will salvage the coconut crops in the command area of second zone to a considerable extent, the farmers point out
Now that the ECI has stated it has no objection to utilisation of the funds sanctioned for maintenance, the Water Resource Department should lose no time in activating the tender process, and carrying out the works with a sense of urgency, P. Velusamy, president of the PAP Vellakovil Branch Canal (Kangayam-Vellakovil) Water Conservation Association, said.
Published – September 29, 2026 08:58 pm IST
