TN Budget: Move to build 1,000 check dams great, but barrages would be better, says farmers

THANJAVUR: Farmers of Thanjavur district have welcomed the construction of 1,000 check dams and barrages, which has been mentioned in the Budget presented by Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Friday. However, farmers from the tail-end areas of delta have their reservations that building more check dams might diminish prospects of farming and they prefer barrages.

Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, district secretary of Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, said it is a welcome announcement and pointed out that farmers association have been demanding more check dams across rivers, including the Cauvery and its branches.

“These check dams should come up across rivers where ever “A” channels branch out to supply water to B, C, D channels which supply water to the fields. However, if illegal sand mining from rivers is not stopped, the building of check dams would become meaningless,” he said.

P R Pandian, president of the coordination committee of the All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu, also welcomed the proposal to build check dams. He, however, wanted the construction of the check dams to be completed within five years instead of 10 as announced in the budget. He also welcomed the proposal to restore the capacity of reservoirs in Tamil Nadu, including Mettur, which is the backbone of the irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts.

Sami Natarajan, State secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, said the check dams would augment the availability of water for irrigation across the State and also be useful for collecting rainwater. He also welcomed the proposal to renovate 200 tanks across the district to increase water holding capacity and supply it for irrigation. Natarajan hailed the measures announced to standardise 50 system minor irrigation tanks every year starting from this fiscal, and the TN Water Resource Information Management System to be implemented at a cost of Rs 30 crore.

P Ravindhran, a farmers’ leader from Killai in Cuddalore district, said, “If more check dams are constructed, it may affect water reaching the tail-end farmlands. Also, there is another factor that storage of water in check dams will lead to wastage through evaporation. So, instead of check dams, the government can go for building barrages. Already there is deficit in monsoon. In this situation, more check dams may affect agriculture in tail-end delta region. Also, if river water does not drain into the sea, marine resources will also get affected. So barrages are any day a better option than check dams.”

Goundampatti Subramanian, a farmer from Karur district, said, “Construction of more check dams across the Cauvery and the Kollidam will help in recharging groundwater at many places. They will also help in farmers getting water whenever it is required.”

50 minor irrigation tanks will be standardised every year