Kerala farmers block checkposts demanding release of water from Tamil Nadu

COIMBATORE: Farmers in Kerala started an indefinite protest on Thursday night, blocking 20 checkposts on the Tamil Nadu - Kerala border near Pollachi after TN under the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) failed to release the full 7.25 TMC of water it had assured to the state. 

The agitated farmers demand that the remaining 1.25 TMC of water should be released to them.

According to sources, as per the deal that has been made between TN-Kerala, annually Tamil Nadu is supposed to release 7.25 TMC of water to Kerala for farming in Kerala. "Among the total of 7.25 TMC water, so far 6 TMC water has been reportedly released to Kerala. The remaining 1.25TMC of water is supposed to be released before May," sources said.

The road roko protest that began on Thursday night by Kerala farmers caused over 500 lorries, heading to Kerala, to stop at Meenakshipuram, Gopalapuram, Govindapuram, Pollachi, Nadumuni, Velanthavalam check posts bordering TN-Kerala. Few of the lorries bearing Tamil Nadu registration that were moving towards Kerala were also subjected to stone pelting by the Kerala farmers.

As all the vehicles heading to Kerala were blocked near KL-TN border near Pollachi, all the vehicles are diverted towards to Walayar check post on the outskirts of Coimbatore.