LBP ryots held for staging protest seeking water

COIMBATORE: Eighty-five farmers were arrested on Tuesday for staging a ‘waiting protest’ since night demanding the release of water from Lower Bhavani Dam for LBP canal irrigation.

The farmers held a protest at the office of the Water Resources Department demanding the release of water for the fifth wetting. From Bhavanisagar Dam, water was released on 15 January in the second phase to irrigate 1.03 lakh acres. Despite dipping storage levels, the authorities also diverted three TMC of water under the Avinashi-Athikadavu scheme to examine its flow to water bodies.

“Meanwhile, the Water Resource Department has announced that they couldn’t supply for the fifth phase of wetting and also stopped three days in prior during the fourth phase of wetting. Therefore paddy and other crops cultivated in several thousands of acres have begun to dry,” farmers claimed.

They demanded the release of water at least for seven days or provide a compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for loss incurred by farmers.

As their continued plea failed to evoke any response, the farmers gathered at the WRD office in the district collector's office premises on Monday evening and continued their protest till Tuesday afternoon. Since talks failed, the police removed 85 farmers from the spot.

Meanwhile, officials said, that under the second phase of irrigation, only ground nuts for 17 hectares, sesame for 10 hectares, and paddy cultivated with seepage water in 110 hectares were yet to be harvested by farmers.

“In the coming days, these farmers can harvest through alternative arrangements as a majority of other farmers have harvested their crops by judicious use of water from wells and deep borewells,” the official said.