PUDUKKOTTAI: Pudukkottai Farmers have raised concerns over the delayed distribution of Grand Anicut (GA) canal water to several irrigation tanks in the district due to shortage of workers in Nagudi and Ayungudi divisions of the Water Resources Department.
They are urging the government to deploy sufficient staff to ensure timely and equal water distribution, especially to tail end areas. Currently, the GA canal receives 250 cusecs of water daily, irrigating over 25,000 acres of land in Aranthangi, Avudaiyarkovil, and Manalmelkudi and filling up 164 tanks in Nagudi and Ayungudi divisions.
VP Senthilvelan, a farmer representative in Aranthangi, pointed out that only two assistant engineers and six operators (luskars) are available to manage water supply to these 164 tanks in the two divisions.
“For the past three years, the post of irrigation inspector remains vacant in Nagudi division. As there are only three operators to manage the canals, redirecting water to other channels that reaches tanks in the region for irrigation has become a problem.
We need more officials and workers to oversee the daily flow of water and ensure the incoming water reaches the tanks in the division," he said. Blaming the absence of workers for the 'unfair' redirection of water which deprives those at the tail end, A Arunkumar, another farmer, said, "In the 15-km stretch from Nagudi to Kattumavadi, there are around 20 tanks.
If channels are not regulated, some take advantage and redirect water to their areas. It's not possible for the available luskars to manage water supply across such a distance." "Farmers have to pay for the worker to come and open the regulator as most of the times, the available luskars don't come citing the distance and some are expected to retire soon," he added.
Further, clogging of Kalakamangalam channel with waste has blocked water flow to over 20 tanks. Anbuchezian, a farmer in Nagudi, has urged the department to appoint workers to regularly monitor and clean the channels. When contacted, a senior official from the Water Resources Department assured that water would be equally distributed to all areas but refused to comment on the staff shortage issue.