Sulur, Avinashi farmers seek uninterrupted water flow to local tanks

COIMBATORE: With El Nino fears looming and Coimbatore and Tirupur districts declared drought-prone by the Centre, farmers in Sulur and Avinashi have urged the state govt to ensure uninterrupted water flow to local tanks under the Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme to avert both agricultural losses and drinking water stress.Athikadavu Kousika Nadhi Development Association chairman A Selvaraj wrote to the chief minister’s special cell and the water resources department (WRD), alleging that tanks falling under Sulur, Avinashi and Kavundampalayam assembly segments were receiving very little water through the scheme. As the southwest monsoon has begun, he sought urgent rectification on a “war footing.”In a written response, WRD executive engineer Appusamy said new control valves had been installed in Vagarayampalayam, Kittampalayam, Kulathupalayam and Semmandampalayam to facilitate obstruction-free flow, and pipeline blockages had been cleared. He added that leaks in pipelines serving Ponnegoundan Pudur, Vadugapalayam, Thekkalur, Thanneer Pandhal and Sooripalayam had been repaired, while air valves and outlet management system equipment were being cleaned. In Vayampalayam, Sarkar Samakulam and Devampalayam, new valves were installed and leakages rectified, he said.The official stated that once surplus water was released from the Bhavani river, tanks under the Athikadavu-Avinashi project would receive water without hindrance.Selvaraj, however, maintained that while northern areas were getting water, southern parts were not. He cited an example of an SS tank spread over 160 acres receiving only “cents” worth of water, and said check dams including those at Vagarayampalayam were not getting inflow.He welcomed ongoing WRD action based on the petition but demanded preventive measures such as signboards and govt warnings of legal action against those damaging pipelines.EOM