Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Will this problem be weeded out?

S. Ganesan

Abundant weed growth in irrigation channels Lush and abundant weed growth could be seen in many major irrigation channels in the district including the North Bank Canal, Panguni, Ayyan, Peruvalai, parts of Uyyakondan, Mullipadi and other channels.

BLOCKADE: Heavy weed growth impeding water flow in the North Bank channel near Tiruchi. — Photo: M. Moorthy.

TIRUCHI: : The heavy weed growth in several irrigation channels has been a cause for concern for farmers in Tiruchi district.

Though it may not pose a problem at this stage, given a copious flow in the Cauvery, farmers apprehend the weed growth could impede water flow when the discharge from the Mettur reservoir is reduced.

Lush and abundant weed growth could be seen in many major irrigation channels in the district including the North Bank Canal, Panguni, Ayyan, Peruvalai, parts of Uyyakondan, Mullipadi and other channels.

The farmers complain that though they have been repeatedly highlighting the issue at various fora, the Public Works Department has failed to clear the weed growth during the closure period citing lack of funds. Heavy weed growth is found even in the Cauvery, they point out.

The failure to clear the drainage channels has also resulted in water stagnation in certain places, the farmers say.

Apart from the weed growth and silting up, many channels have shrunk in width owing to indiscriminate encroachments in several places, said the president of the District Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, G. Kanagasabai.

It was vital that the drainage channels were cleared in time for the water release so as to avoid stagnation when the water flow was high. Stagnation of water has resulted in pest attack in some fields near Lalgudi, he said.

Mr. Kanagasabai suggested that the district administration could route the funds for clearing the irrigation channels through the respective panchayats so that area specific problems could be sorted out.

The government agencies could also consider involving members of the self-help groups in clearing the weed growth in the channels, he added.

The State Secretary of the Bharathiya Kisan Sangh, P. Ayyakannu, observed that the closure period was meant essentially for carrying out jungle and silt clearance annually.

"Though we had been raising the issue frequently at the monthly farmers grievances day meetings well in advance, our pleas fell on deaf ears," he observed.

The heavy weed growth in the channels could result in water not reaching the tail-end areas when the water discharge from the Mettur reservoir is stepped down over the next few months. The weed growth has been so heavy that water has overflowed into the fields at Pandiarajapuram near Nochiam, he claimed.

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