THOOTHUKUDI: Farmers of the Federation of North and South canal farmers association staged a demonstration on the collectorate premises in Thoothukudi on Monday, demanding action against the PWD officials who allegedly released waters of particular canals while sidelining other riparian rights holders citing inadequate water levels.
Additional Collector (Development) Thakkare Subam Dnyandeorao Rao, chaired the weekly grievance redressal meeting on Monday. According to sources, on the occasion, the farmers, led by its coordinator N Nambirajan, staged a demonstration stating the PWD officials opened the east and west canals of the Maruthur anaicut on August 4, defying the conditions agreed upon during a peace talk.
The farmers said, during the talks held at Tiruchendur RDO office the previous day, PWD executive engineer Mariappan and SDO Athimoolam, claimed that all the four canals in the district had been shut based on orders of higher officials, and assured to open the canals on August 7, only if the water level rises to 7 feet at the Maruthur anaicut.
"However, the farmers found that the water was released the next day to the East canal from Maruthur anaicut, which has no cultivation now," the farmers said. They also pointed out that the north and south canals of the Srivaikuntam anaicut have over 20,000 acres of banana cultivation and are in dire need of water as the irrigation tanks have dried up.
Condemning the PWD officials' action, the farmers submitted a petition to the additional collector, demanding action against the officials for misusing their powers. Meanwhile, on Monday evening, the PWD officials released water to all four canals.
Meanwhile, the residents of the Puthumanai of Kanam town panchayat near Tiruchendur, in a petition, said over 40 families have been living on land that belongs to the forest department for more than 100 years. "We received the land on lease from the forest department on November 21, 1957. However, the forest officials stuck notices on our doors on August 3 to evict the premises. The district collector must intervene and ensure us that we can continue living on the same land," the petition said.
The grievance meeting was chaired by Thakkare Subam Gnanadev Rao, who received 314 petitions from the public. He also gave away books to 519 intellectually disabled students for the academic year 2023-24 in the presence of District Revenue Officer Ajay Seenivasan.