KANNIYAKUMARI: Though water from the Kanniyakumari dams has been released to the Radhapuram channel in Tirunelveli for irrigation purposes, the farmers in the district alleged that the authorities of the water resources department have been focused on releasing more water to the Radhapuram channel besides the water released from their district. Condemning the action, the farmers in the district said they would discontinue giving water to the Radhapuram area while Kanniyakumari MLA N Thalavai Sundaram announced a protest to be staged on June 20
The water from the Pechiparai dam in Kanniyakumari was released on June 1, said Milk and Dairy Development Minister Mano Thangaraj. He further said that based on the instruction of the Chief Minister, water was released towards Kodayar and Pattanamkal irrigation system agricultural lands for around 79,000 acres for Kannipoo and Kumbapoo cultivation. Water will be released till February 29 next year, he said, adding that an order was issued to release 850 cusecs of water from Pechiparai, Perunchani, Chittar-I, and Chittar-II dams based on the water requirements, water land, and water inflow.
However, farmers hailing from the tail-end areas of the district have alleged that water has not reached their areas while some of the farmers' representatives complained that the channels were not desilted before water was released from dams. They also alleged that water from the dams in Kanniyakumari has been released to the Radhapuram area in Tirunelveli since June 16.
Kodayar Irrigation System former chairman S Vins Anto told TNIE that as the channels had not been desilited, water was released from the dams in the Kanniyakumari district on June 1 to provide water to agricultural lands in the district. "But the water has not reached at tail-end areas while water was also not released to some channels in Kanniyakumari. Instead, the authorities decreased the flow of water to the channels in the district while showing more interest in providing water to the Radhapuram area in the Tirunelveli district through the Radhapuram channel," he said.
Chenbagaramanputhur Farmers Association President N Rakkisamuthu said though the water level stood at nearly 40 feet at the major dam of Pechiparai and the water was released from June 1, farmers from many areas of Kanniyakumari are unable to begin paddy cultivation as water has not reached the area even now. If this trend continues, the agriculture sector in the district would be completely affected. He further said that to provide water to the Radhapuram area, the main sluices of the Thovalai channel were closed, due to which the cultivated lands in the Layam area have been lying fallow.
District Agriculture Production Committee member P Chenbagasekarapillai, who is also the president of a water users' association, said as water has not reached the tail-end areas of the Kanniyakumari district, providing water to the Radhapuram area would affect the agriculture lands and farmers in the district.
In a press release on Saturday, MLA Thalavai Sundaram said the farmers from the tail-end areas of the Kanniyakumari district haven't begun cultivation as water has not reached the area. "Water was released to the Radhapuram channel from the Kodayar irrigation system in the Kanniyakumari district from June 16 based on a government order. It is an injustice to the farmers of Kanniyakumari. We will stage a protest in front of the water resources department executive officer's office in Nagercoil on June 20.
When contacted, a water resources department official said they did not decrease the amount of water released to the channels in the Kanniyakumari district. "After the desilting of channels is completed, water would reach the tail-end areas in a few days. Water was released to the Radhapuram channel based on a government order," he added.