VELLORE: Around 100 residents and farmers of Alasandhapuram and neighbouring villages petitioned the district collector to close down the three water companies who have an excess number of borewells and are selling water through tractors as a result of which farmers claim that they are being deprived of water for irrigation and drinking.
Farmers and residents petitioned the district collector R Nanthagopal during the Monday grievance day meet and said after the Palar River dried up they have had to rely on ground-water. But even that is being deprived with water companies exploiting the ground-water.
The water companies, farmers claim, have drilled borewells up to 1,500 feet and have been drawing water in the Alasandhapuram panchayat and neighbouring villages for years and selling more than 100 tractors of water every day.
“Village farmers say that a number of coconut trees have died and the trees are being sold to carpenters for its wood,” said R Ravi, Alasandhapuram panchayat president.
The villagers said that the district administration assured us that they would take appropriate action. The same issue was raised by farmers during the farmers grievance day meet last Friday.