Farmers in Western region disappointed over ‘reluctance' of State government to take up Phase-II of Athikadavu-Avinashi project
Farmers in Coimbatore-Tiruppur belt have expressed disappointment over what they describe as the 'reluctance' of the State government to carry out phase II project of Athikadavu-Avinashi project, to carry forward the momentum of the positive outcome of phase I.
The ₹1916.41-crore project in phase I initiated during August 2024 is now serving the intended purpose of irrigating 24,468 acres in Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts.
The pipelines laid under the project to distribute 1.5 tmc of surplus water diverted from the downstream of the Kalingarayan Anicut in Bhavani river has enabled irrigation through 1,045 connected waterbodies in the drought-prone parts of the three districts.
In Thoravalur village in Avinashi taluk, for instance, paddy cultivation had been revived after over five decades owing to the water supplied through pipelines to the tanks under the phase I scheme, said Athikadavu Sampath, a long-time activist for implementation of the scheme.
Farmers are eagerly looking forward to implementation of phase-II of the project, thereby connecting an additional 1,400 water bodies through underground pipelines, and bringing an additional 15,000 acres under tank water irrigation.
'We have been urging the elected representatives from the western region to raise the issue in the Assembly rising above political considerations,' Mr. Sampath said.
Pipelines under Phase I were laid to a length of 1,065 km across the three districts to link 32 lakes of Water Resources Department, and 42 lakes and 971 ponds under Panchayat Unions.
'The Phase I has delivered the intended outcome. Under Phase II, there is a dire need to include the water bodies in drought-prone areas in Karamadai block and Sarkar Samakulam,' said 'Vellakinar' Kalisamy, president of Chinnavedampatti Eri Padukappu Vivasayigal Sangam.
'We also look upon the Water Resources Department to come out with guidelines on water utilisation under Phase I. The desire of farmers is that the WRD should explore ways to connect additional water bodies under Phase I,' Mr. Kalisamy emphasised.
A senior official of Water Resources Department said there was, as such, no proposal under consideration for Phase II of the project.
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