TIRUPPUR: While the southwest monsoon has significantly intensified in the Western Ghats, farmers have requested the state government to allocate funds in advance to desilt old ayacut canals of the Amaravathi irrigation project. A senior WRD official told TNIE that there are 18 canals under the old ayacut, and tenders have been floated to desilt 10 of them.
Sources said Tiruppur and Karur districts have 54,637 acres of agricultural land dependent on the Amaravathi Dam, located in Udumalaipet in Tiruppur district. Of these, about 22,000 acres of agricultural land depend on old ayacut canals, while other lands depend on the main canal of the dam.
On Monday, inflow into the dam was 98 cusecs, and the water level of the dam was 35.73 feet (580 mcft) against the full level of 90 feet (4,047 mcft). However, with the southwest monsoon currently intensifying, the inflow into the dam is expected to increase soon, and there are demands to take swift action to desilt old ayacut canals.
C Kalidas, a farmer and Tiruppur east district president of Tamil Maanila Congress, said, "It is customary to release water for irrigation to the old ayacut canals in Madathukulam and Udumalaipet taluks on June 20, and to old ayacut canals in other areas during September. Since the monsoon has started in Kerala, desilting should be planned and executed in advance."
N Paramasivam, president of Karatholuvu Amaravathi Old Canal Water Users Association, said, "The government has not allocated funds for the maintenance of our old ayacut canal for the past five years.
Farmers have been doing partial maintenance on their own responsibility. Farmers at the tail-end of the canal are facing a water shortage because the canal has not been fully desilted. Therefore, immediate action must be taken to desilt our old ayacut canal this year."
A senior official of WRD said, "There are a total of 18 old ayacut canals in the Amaravathi irrigation. Tenders have currently been floated to desilt 10 of those canals, from regular funds. Funds for dredging other canals will be sought from the government. At the same time, desilting is also under way in the main canal."
"We plan to complete desilting the canals within a month. Even if water is opened for irrigation, work will be carried out during intervals," the official added.