Ryots reach in time for hearing, but RDO missing

As the RDO was not available for the hearing, the group resorted to a two-hour protest before leaving the venue.

A public hearing was scheduled on Tuesday at 10 am for farmers of Thanjavur, Boothalur, Chenkipatti, Tiruvayaru, Orathanadu and Tiruvonam at the RDO office in Thanjvur. Though farmers came in time to the office, RDO Suresh was not present for the hearing. Subsequently, the farmers carried their withered nurseries and staged a protest. 

They claimed that while 1 TMC could easily serve the needs of 700 acres of farmlands, the State government’s poor management of water resulted in over 100 TMC going waste. “Due to this, tail-end areas of the district failed to get their share. Officials, who claimed to repair the Mukkombu regulators, forced majority of the delta areas”, said Jeevakumar, one of the protesters.

Meanwhile, Kakkarai Sukumaran, another farmer said that the State Government recently announced that Direct Procurement Centre (DPC) would be opened at 19 places, but not a single centre has been opened so far. “The farmers are forced to sell a bag of paddy weighing 60 kg for just Rs 300. While the delta region requires a minimum of 252 DPCs, the announcement of 19 is a meagre number,” he charged.

Another farmer Ravichandar said, “The farmers in the delta region have started cultivation with the help of bore wells. When the seeds sprouted, farmers did not get water. As a result, the sprouts withered away.” He demanded to establish monitoring teams and ensure that the standing Kuruvai crops were saved.

The farmers waited till noon and left the venue as the RDO failed to turn up.

Demanding water to save the standing crops, farmers from around six villages in Tiruvarur blocked the road near Mavoor Vellai Bridge in the town on Tuesday.

According to farmers, the agricultural community was elated after the Mettur dam reached its full level and hoped that they would get adequate supply for irrigation.

But the collapse in Kollidam regulator came as a rude shock. To tide over the present crisis, all the rivers flowing in the district should be linked to save water and ensure adequate flow to save the standing crops. Pressing various demands, farmers gathered at Mavoor Vellai Bridge near Tiruvarur and staged a road block. Farmers from the villages - Veppathankudi, Tirukaravasal, Pinnavasal, Kunniyur and Mavoor participated in the protest.

Officials from revenue, police and PWD held talks with the agitating farmers and the protestors dispersed from the spot. Following the protest, traffic was disrupted at Tiruvarur-Thiruthuraipoondi road for more than an hour.