DHARMAPURI: Farmers in Harur and Pappireddipatti region announced they would boycott next month's Tamil Nadu assembly election in protest against the lack of progress in the Thenpennai Surplus Water Scheme to divert excess floodwater from the Thenpennai River to irrigate drought-prone areas.
A lift irrigation project was announced by the Tamil Nadu government in 2019 to pump water from the K Echambadi Dam in Harur to 12 panchayats in the region, however, there has been no movement on it in the last seven years.
S Sokkalingam of the Vivasaya Nala Sangam said, "Initially, the project was announced to feed over 60 lakes in the region in a bid to eliminate the successive droughts and alleviate farmers from the water shortage that has been plaguing the region. But the project has been ignored. So we have passed a resolution to boycott the election in protest. We will be placing banners in 12 villages, notifying candidates not to come to the village, and we will also send a copy of our resolution to the state government."
Another farmer, GP Venkatesan, said, "Twelve panchayats, including A Vellampatti, Maritipatti, Kelmorappur, Vidukampatti, Sellampatti and other villages, have dozens of lakes, ponds and wells, which could have benefited from the scheme. Demanding this project, we had also filed petitions with Chief Minister MK Stalin, the Collector and various other offices, yet there has been no progress. So we have no other choice but to boycott the election."
When TNIE reached out to officials in the Dharmapuri district administration, said, "It is up to the state government to execute the project. We urge people to stop announcements of poll boycott. Every vote is important. We urge people to exercise their democratic right to vote."