DHARMAPURI: Farmers of Bandharahalli village in Karimangalam taluk have urged the PWD (WRO) department to increase the volume of water released from the KRP dam. Farmers said water would get wasted it is released in Thenpennai river and instead surplus should be released into the right canal.
Over the past few days, because of flooding in the Thenpennai river the inflow to KRP dam has increased and surplus water was released to benefit farmers in Dharmapuri and Tiruvannamalai. Meanwhile, farmers in Bandharahalli want water released into the right canal in order to fill eight lakes in Karimangalam taluk.
Speaking to TNIE, R Murugesan of Lake Irrigation Farmers Association said, “Bandarahalli panchayat in Karimangalam is facing acute water shortage due to depletion of ground water. We get water at 800 ft. We need to improve the situation. If more water is be released into the right canal, it would flow to eight lakes in Karimangalam and recharge groundwater. Right now the water outflow from the KRP is extremely low and this would leave many water bodies dry despite so much surplus water is available.”
Murugesan added, “Of the eight lakes, Kumabarahalli lake, Mottalur lake are full. After other lakes are filled, the water would reach Dhindal lake which is spread over 110 acres. If all the lakes are filled, farmers would greatly benefit and ground water levels would improve.”
Another farmer, K Manigandan from Guttur said, “Right now the rain has brought surplus water in Thenpennai which if not utilised would be wasted. It should be used to recharge ground water.”
PWD(WRO) officials said they would look into the demand.