DHARMAPUR: Farmers in Pappireddipatti requested the Dharmapuri administration to build a check dam on the Veppadi river. They said over 1,000 acres of farmland would benefit from the scheme.
Since the past few months, farmers from Pappireddipatti have been urging the Dharmapuri administration and the PWD (Water Resource Department) to conduct a study on constructing a check dam on Veppadi, which flows from Shevaroy hills throughout the year when there is sufficient rainfall in the monsoon. However, the river dries up during droughts, due to which the farmers urged the administration to set up a check dam near Molayanur village in Pappireddipatti.
M M Udhayakumaran, a farmer from Pappireddipatti said, "In Dharmapuri, most of the water bodies are rain fed. In the case of monsoon failure, droughts are natural. To prevent such a situation, we have been urging the administration to build a check dam near Molayanur village."
Another resident of Pappireddipatti, R Kaliappan, said, "Nearly 50 villages in Dharmapuri and Salem will benefit from the scheme. Over 1,000 acres of cultivation would flourish if the check dam is constructed."
According to AP Kiruba, an assistant engineer with the PWD (WRD), "It is feasible to construct a check dam here and we have prepared a Detailed Project Report. We are taking steps to hasten the process of construction." When asked about the fund, he said that it cannot be disclosed at this time as it may vary.