Ryots object to concrete lining of LBP canal

COIMBATORE: Farmers in Tirupur have renewed their protest against concrete lining of Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal. They have announced shutting of shops in Nathakadaiyur locality in Tirupur and hold demonstration against the concretisation project on Friday.

The protest call comes a day after farmers from Erode, Tirupur and Karur districts met Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan in Chennai and petitioned him to drop it.

S Nallasamy, president of Lower Bhavani Farmer’s Welfare Association said that the canal should be desilted, bunds strengthened and encroachments removed for water to reach tail end areas. “These works were not taken up since 1956. Unfortunately, the canal has turned into a place to dump waste by local bodies and people,” he said.

N Senthil Kumar, president of Nathakadaiyur village panchayat said that concrete lining will destroy the green cover and rich bio-diversity existing along the canal.

“Currently, enumeration is underway to cut down trees along the main canal. Trees have been numbered from Palayam till Mangalapatti to cut them down. Also, concrete lining may affect the ground water table and in-turn impact agriculture in several thousands of acres,” he said.