Officials crack down on people stealing water from PAP canal

Coimbatore: The district administration has started cracking down on the people stealing water from the main canal of Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP), as per the recent court orders.
Collector G S Sameeran said they had disconnected 13 electricity connections and sent notices to 39 people in this regard so far.
He said a divisional-level joint monitoring committee and six sub-committees were formed in the district recently to keep the water theft in check. The joint monitoring committee, which is led by Pollachi sub collector, comprises revenue, Tangedco, PWD and police officials.
The recent high court orders had instructed the officials to enforce the government orders issued in 1967, as per which borewells should not be set up within 50 metres of the canal, water should not be pumped to agricultural fields from the borewells located within 300 meters of the canal and water should be pumped using pumps with a capacity exceeding 10HP.
A source with the district administration said strict action was being taken against the people drawing water for industrial purposes and agricultural lands, which do not come under the ayacut area. “Electricity connection is being snapped if serious violations are found.”
However, soft stand is taken against the farmers using water for agricultural purposes, even if they have borewells within the 50 metres range. They are severed notices, seeking an explanation within a month. The farmers are planning to move the court, seeking exemption, as they do not have alternative water sources, a source said.
A source with the Public Works Department (PWD) said the violations were found on the 100km stretch of the 124km canal stretch in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts. In Coimbatore, violations were mostly found at Sulthanpet and nearby areas.
Meanwhile, farmers from the tail-end areas in Tirupur said there was an increase in water flow after the district administration’s efforts to curb the water theft. P Velusamy, president, PAP Vellakoil Branch Water Conservation Association (Kangayam-Vellakoil), said the water theft had come down and the water level in the canal had increased after the district administration began cracking down on the violators. “Both the court order and the 1967 government order should continue to be implemented to get a sustained result. Violators should not be shown any mercy.”