A meeting held at Gobichettipalayam on Wednesday to resolve issues over implementing the Kodiveri Combined Water Supply Scheme failed to yield result as farmers, who were opposing the project, insisted on meeting Perundurai MLA Thoppu N.D. Venkatachalam for an amicable solution.
The ₹237-crore water scheme intends to draw water from the upper part of the anicut to be supplied to panchayat unions in Perundurai, Uthukuli (Tiruppur district) and various village panchayats. However, farmers, whose lands were irrigated through water from Thadapalli and Arakankottai canals, fear that drawing water would affect the water flow in the two canals.
They wanted water to be drawn from the downstream of the anicut and staged a protest after which works were halted.
The district administration formed a high level technical expert committee to study the implementation that inspected the anicut and submitted its report to the Collector. The MLA along with supporters had on June 30 petitioned the Collector for speedy implementation of the project.
On Wednesday, the meeting was held at the Revenue Division Office that was chaired by Collector C. Kathiravan in the presence of Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan.