Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

Stop drawing water from borewells:ryots

Special Correspondent

`Safeguard groundwater table' Call for diversion of water evicted from the Neyveli lignite mines to the dams at Vriddhachalam and Memathur

CUDDALORE: The Joint Action Council of the farmers' associations in Cuddalore district, comprising at least nine outfits, has urged the State Government to immediately order for cessation of drawing water from the 45 deep borewells sunk in the Panruti— Neyveli region, so as to safeguard the groundwater from fast depletion.

The JAC at its meeting held here on Monday, with V. Venkatapathy, president of the Tamil Nadu Herbs and Tree Growers'Association in the chair, passed a resolution in this regard.

It noted that following protest by the farmers of Perambalur district, the government had abandoned the proposal to sink giant borewells there under the New Veeranam Project. The indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater would gravely affect the irrigation prospects in the long run, it noted.

In another resolution it called for diversion of water evicted from the Neyveli lignite mines to the dams located at Vriddhachalam and Memathur to alleviate the sufferings of the farmers who had lost the groundwater prospects owing to the mining operation.

It called upon the Neyveli Lignite Corporation management to pay royalty to the affected farmers as was done by the Bihar miners. Stressing the need for effective and efficient water management, the JAC sought 50 per cent grant for those farmers who opted for drip or sprinkler irrigation system.

Concessions

The JAC pointed out that by declaring 2002, 2003 and 2004 as drought years, the government had waived the interest and penal interest on farm loans that was due on March 31,2001, ie., complete waiver to the small and marginal farmers and 50 per cent waiver for the large farmers.

It called for extension of the concessions uniformly to all the farmers (without any distinction as small or large farmers) who could not clear the arrears till March 31,2005. For those who had converted their farm loans into long-term or comprehensive loans, the banks should give fresh loans, it said.

The JAC appealed to the government to reduce the interest rate on borrowings from the land development banks from 17 to 9 per cent to reduce the burden on servicing the loans.

It suggested that the Tamil Nadu Government follow the Andhra Pradesh model of handing over the entire proceeds from the sugarcane procurement tax to the farmers. It also called for announcement of the State advisory price (SAP) for sugarcane.

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Stop drawing water from borewells:ryots

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