Raising doubts over the continuous postponement and getting irritated by the stock response from PWD engineers, the farmers asked unanimously: “Will the Vaigai dam be ever desilted...,” here on Friday.
Speaking at the monthly farmers’ grievance redressal meeting at the Collectorate, many among them recalled having asked such a query a decade or two back and even at that time, the officials (then present) said that proposals had been sent to Chennai through PWD Chief Engineer and the same reply was maintained till today.
“It was unfortunate that the officials were not interested in improving the farmers’ economy,” they said.
Visibly moved by the farmers — both young and elderly —, the DRO Gunalan, who was in the chair, said that the PWD engineers should convene a meeting with farmers’ representatives and take a concrete decision. “Share the copy of the proposal sent to Chennai with the delegates,” he told the officials.
The farmers said that in the last 130 years or so, such drought had not been experienced. This was the prime opportunity to desilt the reservoir. From the days it was built, the dam was never desilted and at least 20 feet may be filled with silt, they added.
Yet another major irrigation project — 58 canal (kalvai) project — in Usilampatti block which was moving at a snail’s pace in the district was raised by the farmers. Though the officials claimed that work was under way and attributed delay to the shortage of sand, the farmers pooh-poohed the claims and said that it was going on for over 20 years.