ERODE : Farmers from Lower Bhavani Ayakkattu Land Owners Association and Lower Bhavani Farmers Federation met the Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department (Coimbatore region) on Monday regarding getting water from the Bhavanisagar Dam for LBP irrigation.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, K V Ponnaiyan, Lower Bhavani Ayakkattu Land Owners Association secretary said, “The WRD was supposed to provide 11.5 tmcft of water from the Bhavanisagar Dam in four intervals starting from January 7 to May 1 for the second phase, to wet 1.03 lakh acres of farmland under the LBP canal irrigation. However, as the water availability from the dam decreased, the officials stopped the water in the middle of the fourth wetting on April 3. Water should have been provided from April 18 for the fifth wetting but it has not been released.”
He added, “There are various confusions among the farmers regarding this issue. Hence, we met C Sivalingam, Chief Engineer of WRD (Coimbatore Region) on Monday. During the meeting, he informed me that the water available in the Lower Bhavani Dam is only for drinking. So, water cannot be drawn for LBP irrigation purposes from the Hydro Electric Reservoir in the Nilgiris district. Because the water in those reservoirs is also less.”
“Therefore, we have realised how bad the crisis is and have decided to cooperate with the officials. Other farmers should also cooperate. Because drinking water is very essential for all people,” he further said.
At the same time, another set of farmers have also been insisting on opening the water from the Lower Bhavani Dam for LBP canal irrigation.