The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Rally against “sustained assault” on groundwater

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Saturday, Jul 26, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Rally against “sustained assault” on groundwater

L. Renganathan

As it affects agriculture and potable water sources

Agitation planned on August 11
A meeting of pollution-affected farmers held

KARUR: Effluents discharged from the dyeing and bleaching units are polluting groundwater resources in Karur district, mainly affecting agriculture and potable water sources.

To highlight the problem, a section of the affected farmers in the district have planned a rally here on August 11.

This was decided at a meeting of pollution-affected farmers under the aegis of Karur District Groundwater Protection Movement and Association of Farmers Affected by Pollution here recently.

The meeting took stock of the situation and the crisis agriculturists were facing in Karur district following the sustained assault on groundwater resources by effluents over a long period. Former MLA and president of the Pugalur Farmers’ Association T.N. Sivasubramanian presided over the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sivasubramanian said that groundwater in several parts of the district had been rendered unfit for human consumption.

In some areas, there was a severe scarcity of potable water.

The State Government and the district administration should take steps to ameliorate the sufferings of the farmers and prevent further deterioration of groundwater resources, he said.

A resolution passed at the meeting called upon the district administration to take immediate measures to address the acute water scarcity in Melapalayam and Sanapiratti panchayats.

Toddy issue

Another resolution urged the State Government to remove toddy from the list of alcoholic drinks and allow toddy tapping. Over the past two decades, there has been a ban on toddy tapping but sale of IMFL was allowed. The situation needed to be reversed, it noted.

Either the State Government should impose total prohibition or allow toddy tapping, the resolution noted. The region’s farmers would support the Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement’s proposed protest fast in Chennai on September 16, the resolution observed.

Through another resolution the meeting called upon the State Government to extend to lift irrigation farmers’ associations using high-tension power connections the same benefits as the ryots’ associations using low-tension power connections.

Another resolution urged the State Government to extend undisturbed power supply to farmers for six hours during the day and eight hours in the night.

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