NAGAPATTINAM: Farmers from Thennadar village in Nagapattinam district are opposing the setting up of industries as part of the proposed Rs 250-crore SIPCOT industrial park. They claimed the project could affect their agriculture and groundwater resources in the village which is 20 km from Vedaranyam Beach.
During his visit to Nagapattinam on March 3, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that an industrial park of State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) would be set up in the Vedaranyam block.
R Rajagopal, a 65-year-old farmer from Thennadar, said, "We do not object to the establishment of agro-industries or any industry as part of the industrial park if it does not affect our agriculture. We oppose chemical industries causing water pollution, oil industries causing soil pollution or industries causing air pollution."
In the agrarian village of Thennadar, paddy is cultivated in around 406 hectares as a mono crop and it is dependent on lift irrigation and rain.
After harvest, the farmers cultivate sesame amd pulses such as green gram and black gram. Non-paddy crops such as coconuts, banana, mango, chillies, casuarina and jute are also cultivated in a few dozen hectares in the village. The village has over a dozen ponds and tanks.
The soil is clay and sandy clay loam. T Kuzhanthaivelu, a 70-year-old farmer, said, "We are pursuing paddy cultivation only once in a year due to lack of direct access to Cauvery River's distribution channels. Our groundwater resources are saline. Fresh groundwater is over hundreds meters deep. Our agriculture is in a critical state and we do not want to lose them due to soil and groundwater pollution."
The Thennadar panchayat consists of hamlets such as Melakadu, Nadukadu, Keelakadu and Vazhiyan Kadu. There are around 2,478 people living in 645 families.
The villagers recently petitioned the officials, including the Tahsildar, opposing polluting industries in Thennadar. Sources say the SIPCOT park would feature solar farms and leather-based industries. Vedaranyam Revenue Division Officer S Thirumal said,
"We have conveyed the concerns of Thennadar villagers to the government. The SIPCOT industrial park will create an enormous amount of employment for locals. The industries in the SIPCOT park will not affect the village."