RAMANATHAPURAM: Complaining that official “inaction” on the “encroachments” in the branch canals of Peruvayal tank and a damaged check dam shutter in the waterbody has affected irrigation of around 5,000 acres of cultivation in the village, local farmers seek urgent attention on the matter.
While pointing out that the Peruvayal tank is located in the tail-end region of River Vaigai, farmers allege that the waterbody and its branch canals have been left unmaintained for around a decade. As a result, a damaged check dam shutter in it has not been repaired, making it difficult to store water in the tank, they said.
Ramanathan, a local farmer, said that the tank is directly fed by the Vaigai. As the branch canals are poorly maintained, the tank hardly received any water during cultivation season. Some water gets stored in the tank only during monsoon rains. With the shutter and check dam portions damaged, that water too is difficult to store, affecting farmers, he added.
The damage and the encroachments in the branch canals haven’t been addressed for over a decade, he claimed.
Mentioning tanks playing a major role in addressing the irrigation woes of farmers, Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar farmers’ federation state general secretary M Arjunan urged the authorities to allot special funds towards maintenance works in all such structures in the district.
When enquired, water resources department (WRD) officials said that the department is allocating funds to maintain waterbodies and branch canals. Action will be taken to clear the encroachments, they added.