COIMBATORE: Farmers from Sultanpettai panchayat union urged the state government to provide special permission to fill up water in small ponds at least once in a year under the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) in order to recharge ground water.
They claimed that as the areas within the union come under the rainfed category, drawing water from PAP during monsoon would help groundwater recharge in villages in the union.
“Around 50 villages in the union in Coimbatore district are mostly rainfed areas. Most people are dependent on agricultural activities and poultry farming. Agriculture is carried out depending on rain but ground water is available only 500 feet down due to poor rainfall. Even regular drinking water supply is a problem,” said A Thirunavukkarasu of Selakaraichal village in Sultanpettai Union.
He asked the administration to release water from PAP to ponds in the villages to provide life to water bodies and rejuvenate ground water recharge.
T Karuppasamy, a member of the farmers’ association, said, “The villages between Palladam and Chettipalayam in the east and west and from Sultanpettai to Sulur in the south and north are in the grip of drought.
Providing water from the PAP at least once in a year to small ponds in the area is the only solution for the issue. The government should consider releasing water during the monsoon when dams in PAP get surplus water.”