Desilt Vaigai dam to increase storage, says farmers’ body

Representations were made to desilt Vaigai dam to increase the water storage capacity, during the Southern region-consultation meeting held in Tirunelveli on Thursday ahead of agricultural budget 2025-26 of Tamil Nadu.

The meeting which was held in the presence of Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, officials and farmers’ representatives from 12 southern districts discussed various long-pending demands which were raised by the farmers. They demanded the authorities to peruse their demands and include them in the upcoming budget discussions.  

M.P. Raman from Madurai, president of Vaigai-Tirumangalam Main Canal Water Users-Farmers Association, spoke about the urgent need to increase the storage capacity of Vaigai dam.  “Since it has not been desilted ever since it was commissioned in the 1950s, the storage capacity has drastically come down. The massive water spread which feeds lakhs of farmlands is a lifeline for farmers who are totally dependent on it. So, steps to increase the storage at least before the next monsoon season is essential,” he said.  

Further, citing the controversial Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (for Special Projects) Act, 2023, which was hastily implemented by the State government amid stiff opposition from farmers and opposition parties, Mr. Raman said the Act after implementation has paved way to acquisition of thousands of agricultural lands for industrial development.  

“Though it may sound all right to take over lands for starting industries which translates into employment generation, vast swathes of fertile agricultural land will fall into the hands of corporate companies,” Mr. Raman said.  

The arrangements which have been made for big corporate companies to procure paddy from direct procurement centres (DPCs) through Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporations in districts except the delta region was a major step towards privatisation of DPCs, he said.  Corporate companies registered under the Union government’s National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) would procure the paddy from DPCs.  

“Since they are private companies, there is no guarantee that there will be checks and balances in distribution and fixing of prices. Exempting delta region is a good step, but the same importance should have been given to the rest of the regions too. Many southern districts have shown a considerable increase in paddy yield this year,” he said. 

Mr. Raman said the concrete lining on the supply channels of Vaigai-Tirumangalam main extension canal was in a heavily damaged state due to which water did not reach the intended areas.  “As the 26-km main canal was renovated recently, the branch canals from Nadumudhalaikulam till Kovailangulam, Karugapillaibethankulam, Aandikulam, Kokkulam-Vadakulam-Oorkulam-Oothupatti kanmoi, Chettikulam-Valayangulam kanmoi, Kinnimangalam-Mavilipatti-Sorikkanpatti kanmoi, Mela Uruppanur kanmoi till Maravankulam kanmoi should be renovated,” he added.

 “Funds must be allotted in this year’s budget for renovating the concrete slabs which were laid long back,” he said.  

Mr. Raman also urged the State government to take steps to reopen the National Cooperative Sugar Mill at Alanganallur which remains shut for several years now.  “If it is opened, farmers will stand to benefit and many people will get jobs too,” he said.  

As Usilampatti belt stands foremost in cultivation of the famous ‘Madurai malli’ (jasmine), an air-conditioned storage room with transport facilities should be announced in the budget session to help the hundreds of farmers involved in jasmine farming, Mr. Raman said.