THOOTHUKUDI: Farmers of Vembur panchayat staged a protest urging to stop the land acquisition for a SIPCOT project. Over two-thirds of the agricultural lands in the panchayat are being acquired for industrial projects, they alleged. Vembur is located 20 km north of Ettayapuram on the Thoothukudi-Madurai National Highways.
Recently, the district administration issued notices to acquire land sprawling 2,700 acre in Vembur, Melakarandhai and Keelakarandhai village panchayats of Ettayapuram taluk and Pattithevan Patti village panchayat of Vilathikulam taluk and sought explanation before February 28.
Accordingly, over 1,700 out of the total of 2,700 acres in Vembur are under land acquisition, which has put Vembur farmers in a fix. Besides, over 700 acres are under the aegis of traders and realtors.
Over 100 farmers from Vembur staged a protest at the collectorate demanding cancellation of the land acquisition for the industrial project.
Farmer's association leader A Varadharajan protested at the collectorate campus claiming that the agriculture of the area will be affected by the SIPCOT project.
There are three irrigation tanks namely Melakarandhai, Keelakarandhai, and Pattithevan Patti, where 950, 250 and 92 acres are cultivated as per village records. These tanks receive water from Arupukottai in the neighbouring Virudhunagar district. Pulses, cotton, onion, coriander and jowar are the major crops cultivated here, he said.
It may be noted that 'Pottu Aadu', an Indigenous breed of sheep of Vembur, Melakarandhai, Keezhakarandhai and Nagalapuram may come under threat. They are tall and have white-colour skin with red-colour spots all over their body.
The cattle farmers said these indigenous breeds may lose their grazing fields, if the vast agricultural land is acquired for the SIPCOT industrial project, said one T Thangaraj, who rears the sheep.
The farmers feared that water from these tanks may be utilised as water resources for industrial projects, thus depriving irrigation. We did not ask for any industrial projects in Vembur, said Varadharajan.