KANNIYAKUMARI: Several weeks have passed since repair work of Ananthanar channel began in Surulacode, but has not been completed yet depriving thousands of acres of paddy fields of water though water was released from Pechiparai dam on June 1.
The 24-km long Ananthanar channel starts at Surulacode and is one of the important irrigation channels in Kanniyakumari, irrigating 9,902 acres of land and supplying water to 95 tanks. Over the years, the channel has weakened and the Ullimalai escape channel got completely damaged.
WRD officials had planned to renovate it in March, but the work was delayed due to unseasonal rain and began in May. Since the repairs have not been completed, water could not be released. P Chenbagasekarapillai, president of Ananthanar channel water users association, said Arumanallur, Veeravanallur, Chiramadam, Thittuvilai, Thuvarancadu, Esanthimangalam, Erachakulam, Kaliyancadu, Kaniyakulam farmers are the worst affected.
He added that farmers had grown paddy nurseries hoping the repairs would be completed and water would be released on time to start transplanting the seedlings, but their hopes have crashed by the delay.
A Sirajudeen, a farmer in Thittuvilai, said “Expecting water would be released on June 1 in Ananthanar channel, we had grown paddy nurseries. As water was not released, the nurseries have started withering. It has been drizzling in the last two days, and we hope the nurseries would be saved.”
Farmers added that due to ongoing desilting works, some areas of channels including Thiruvithancode branch channel has not received water. A Wins Anto, chairman of Kodayar basin irrigation system project committee, said due to the non completion of desilting works partially in Padmanabhapuram Puthanar (PP) channel and Thiruvithancode branch channel, the water has not reached tail-end areas.
When contacted, Water Resources Department (WRD) officials said the repair work in Anathanar channel at Surulacode would be completed in four days. They added the desisting work at some places in Thiruvithancode branch channel would be completed on Friday.