DHARMAPURI: Farmers in Palacode urged the PWD(WRD) to take steps to clean up overgrowth from the canals between Chinnar dam and Palacode. The Chinnar dam is one of the key reservoirs in Dharmapuri, the waters from this dam reaches more than four blocks, including Marandahalli, Palacode, Papparapatti and Dharmapuri feeding more than a dozen lakes across the district. But the canals which transport water to these lakes are filled with overgrowth and in some areas plastic waste has been dumped in the canals.
Speaking to TNIE, D Kannan from Marandahalli said, "In ward 10 at Marandahalli, the drainage here drains into the canals of Chinnar dam. So when it rains or when water is released from the dam, the drainage water gets mixed with the rainwater and contaminates the lakes. Further, these waters also impact farmlands and livestock. So the canals must be cleaned."
Another farmer, R Sivarajan from Palacode said, "The overgrowth of weeds in the canal diverts the water flow and the rainwater does not reach the lakes. This resulted in the lack of groundwater recharge which sustains agriculture through well irrigation.
Furthermore, plastic waste from the Palacode town panchayat also gets deposited in the canals. So efforts must be taken to clean up them up."
When TNIE reached out to officials in the PWD(WRD) they were unavailable to comment.
