The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Erode News : Farmers of Upparu ayacut reel under acute water paucity Upparu farmers reel under water paucity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 25, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Erode

Farmers of Upparu ayacut reel under acute water paucity Upparu farmers reel under water paucity

R. Sundaram

Demand water release from PAP, compensation for dried up coconut trees

Standing tall, but parched: Over three-lakh coconut trees dried up in the Upparu ayacut near Erode has left farmers in the lurch. PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

ERODE: They have conducted various agitations. In fact, over 25 public representatives, including the panchayat president, had tendered their resignation demanding release of water from the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP).

But the farmers of the Upparu ayacut are still staggering under acute water scarcity, as the water from PAP was last released to the Upparu Reservoir in 1997.

The Reservoir was constructed in September 1968 in Gethelrev, a village 15 km from Dharapuram, to store .326 tmcft of discharge from PAP and rainwater.

Over 6,000 acres in ten villages, including Gethelrev, Thoppampatty, Kannankoil and Nanjiyampalayam in the ayacut benefited.

They raised over 3-lakh coconut seedlings in the area, and also undertook dairy development projects.

The president of the Upparu Farmers' Association, Thirugnanasambandam, said that groundwater level at these ten villages in the ayacut now stood at 1,250 ft.

It was very difficult to get drinking water.

Over 3-lakh coconut trees had dried, hitting the people economically very hard. Thanks to the recent rain in Dindigul and Udumalpet, water flowing to the Reservoir through jungle streams helped a little, he said.

Talking to The Hindu , Muruganandham of Gethelrev said that the panchayat provided them with water.

The scarcity was likely to get more severe in a week's time. For want of fodder, most farmers had sold their milch animals.

Villagers in the ayacut said that in 1970, there were 1,500 to 1,800 families with a population of over 7,000 in five villages, including Nanjiyampalayam, Gethelrev, Kannankoil and Thoppampatty.

But now with only 800 to 1,000 families residing, the population had come down to 4,000. These people were hit by severe economic crisis.

The farmers demanded that the Government release water to the Reservoir at once and carry out drought relief operations. Compensation for the dried coconuts should also be granted, the farmers said.

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Farmers of Upparu ayacut reel under acute water paucity Upparu farmers reel under water paucity