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Farmers seek desilting of channels

By Our Staff Reporter

NAMAKKAL, JUNE 26. Farmers in Namakkal have demanded immediate desilting of the three important irrigation channels - Raja Vaikkal, Komarapalayam Vaikkal and the Mohanur Vaikkal. They have also demanded that the fertilizer and pesticide components of the loans they take from the agricultural cooperative banks be dispensed with, as it was not needed now.

Placing their demands at the farmers grievances day meeting here on Friday, the farmers, led by G. Ajeethan of Mohanur and the district president of the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, K. Sundaram, pointed out that Raja Vaikkal, Komarapalayam Vaikkal and Mohanur Vaikkal had not been desilted for over two years despite repeated appeal.

The officials were all through claiming that funds had not been made available for desilting channels, they claimed. Make the best use of the Mettur closure period and desilt the channels immediately so that water would reach the tail-end areas when released, they argued.

Mr. Ajeethan pointed out that ayacutdars of the three channels paid Rs. 50 per year as Irrigation Cess Fund. The channels were irrigating about 18,000 acres and an estimated Rs. 7.5 lakhs was getting accrued every year through the fund. That should be properly utilised, he maintained.

Mr. Ajeethan also wanted the district administration to address the drinking water shortage in several parts of the district. The problem could be overcome by resorting to periodical releases from Mettur, he claimed.

Similarly, farmers vehemently opposed the compulsory distribution of fertilizers as kind component along with the loans the farmers avail themselves from the agricultural cooperatives. Mr. Sundaram said when the season was dry, it would be dangerous to apply fertilizers and there was no great demand as to push them through, he observed. Other farmers joined him in saying that farmers were forced to re-sell fertilizers/pesticides given to them to other dealers at a much lesser price. Moreover, what was the big idea in popularising the largely discredited chemical fertilizers, they wondered.

The Collector, V.M. Xavier Chrisso Nayakam, acceded to the farmers' request and said he would convey their sentiments to the Government. He also said that he would discuss with the officials the issue of desilting the channels. The district administration would look into the problems of farmers and would try its best to help them overcome the problems.

As regarding drinking water problem, it would be ensured that each person in every village gets at least 40 litres a day as a sort of minimum requirement.

Mr. Nayakam said that in 2003-04, 9,800 farmers in the district were extended crop loans to the tune of Rs. 22.48 crores, for which the interest was Rs. 2.62 crores. Now, the Government had announced that the interest component would be waived for those farmers who came forward to repay the principal. He also said that the Rs. 16.08 crores lent to the farmers during kharif 2002-03 had been converted into medium term loan.

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