DHARMAPURI: Stating that the construction of a dam on the Cauvery near Rasimanal would benefit the entire state, Dharmapuri farmers have urged the state government to conduct a feasibility study on the dam’s construction.
Farmers said that in 1961, then Chief Minister M Kamaraj visited Dharmapuri and laid a foundation stone for the construction of a dam in Rasimanal, on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border.
Since then, there has been no follow-up on the plan. Now, as the district is facing water shortages every year, farmers have urged the state government to take steps to conduct a detailed project study and, if possible, construct a dam across the Cauvery.
This will not just help Dharmapuri alleviate its annual drought, but also improve the water storage in the state, benefiting the riparian area of the Cauvery, the farmers stated.
K Selvam, a farmer, told TNIE, "For years, we have been waiting for the Tamil Nadu government to implement the Cauvery Surplus Water scheme. But so far, there has been no significant progress concerning the scheme.
We need a permanent solution for the water issues, and one such solution could be a dam across the Cauvery, specifically at Rasimanal. The officials must immediately take steps to conduct a study and look into the feasibility of the project."
Another farmer, B Ravikumar from Pennagaram, said, "The dam in Rasimanal will be of extreme use when water level drops in Mettur Dam. Not just Dharmapuri, the delta areas will also stand to benefit from a dam at Rasimanal. Therefore, considerations must be made for the project and detailed studies must be undertaken."
When TNIE reached out to officials, they said, "The state government must take a decision on such huge projects.”