Dindigul
Accepting to desilt a 27 km-stretch of an irrigation channel from Athur to Agaram at a cost of ₹90 lakh, the Athur MLA and senior DMK leader I. Periasami commenced the work here on Saturday.
Thanking the MLA, the farmers’ associations from about eight villages said that it would benefit 4,000 acres of cultivable land from this season. Though in the past, the farmers had submitted representations to the VAO in the locality and also to the Collector, nothing tangible was done to remove the encroachments on the water channels, Joseph Arulanandam president of Sithalaikundu and Thamaraikulam farmers association said.
The work, which commenced on Saturday from Rajakkapatti on Palani Road, would move southwards of Anumantharayankottai bridge. Similarly, desilting of channel began from Athur Kamarajar reservoir side to Anumantharayankottai. In short, from Athur Chokkupillai channel to Agaram, the area covered would be 27 kilometres, said Reddiyarchatram union chairman K Sathiyamoorthi after inaugurating the works.
An official from the Agriculture Department said that they had received petitions from the farmers’ associations in the past during the farmers’ grievances meeting. The PWD had last carried out works nine years ago. The desilting of channels being done now would benefit the tail end farmers in Agaram, he added.
Mr. Periasami said that instead of indulging in blame game, he had decided to take it up on his own as nothing had been done by the government despite representations being given on many occasion. The ultimate benefit should reach the farmers and that they should know the DMK - irrespective of whether in power or not, delivered results.
The farmers said that when the desilting of channels gets completed in about a fortnight, water would flow from Athur to Thamaraikulam, a distance of 15 kms and subsequently benefit tanks including Avatharakulam, Aynthankulam, Anaipattikulam, Kottur Avarampattikulam, Velasamudramkulam and among others, they added.