DHARMAPURI: Members of the Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam (TVS) organised a Water Right Conference near Dharmapuri’s four-road junction on Sunday. As many as 300 farmers from across the district took part in the event.
Speaking during the meeting, farmers said that the state and union governments failed to implement any water management schemes in the district, especially diverting surplus water from the Cauvery and Thenpennai rivers into waterbodies in the district to tackle water shortage which is impacting cultivation and results in people migrating to other districts or states in search of livelihood. Further, farmers alleged that the state government failed to renovate the Sanathkumar River even though Rs 50 crore had been sanctioned for it.
Speaking to the media, K Sundaram, State General Secretary of the outfit said, “Cauvery and Thenpennai flow through Dharmapuri, yet both the rivers do not offer any significant benefit. This coupled with the lack of rainfall has left the district in dire need of a water management project.
Schemes like the Jarthalav-Thumbalahalli scheme, Ennaikolpudur scheme, and Echambadi lift irrigation scheme have been passed as GOs by the Tamil Nadu government way back in 2019 but they are yet to be completed. The state government must implement the schemes as soon as possible. The schemes are slow because of the lack of funds.”