Enhance water supply to Vellakovil branch canal, demand PAP tail-end farmers
They announced they will show black flags to the chief minister during his scheduled visit to Tiruppur on Tuesday if appropriate steps are not taken.
The farmers cited drought-like conditions prevailing in the tail-end areas despite receiving PAP water.
Under the PAP, 4.25 lakh acres of agricultural land in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts are getting irrigation facilities. This includes about 3.77 lakh acres of agricultural lands irrigated by water from the Thirumoorthy Dam. Of this 12,000 acres of farmlands in Kangeyam and Vellakovil areas of Tiruppur, which are the tail-end parts of the PAP system, are irrigated by the Vellakovil branch canal.
Currently, 131 cusecs of water is being provided to this branch canal from the main canal. But the farmers in tail-end areas claim that this water is not enough. They have requested 149 cusecs of water instead of 131 cusecs during the water release to the fourth zone of the PAP system.
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