PAP Canal tail-end farmers reject WRD claim of equitable water distribution, Tiruppur Collector assures elaborate discussion on the issue

Farmers in the tail-end of PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project) canal who have been complaining of uneven distribution of water have rejected the contention of the Water Resources Department (WRD) denying the charge.

The tail-end farmers have conveyed to the WRD instances of coconut trees withering away in the fourth zone despite abundance water availability in the PAP system dams.

In a petition submitted to the department’s Aliyar Basin Division, Pollachi, P. Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakovil Branch Canal Water Conservation Association said that the reading at the Andipalayam zero point implies that Pongalur sub-division receives receives nearly three times more water than the Kangeyam sub-division in equal irrigation area.

The imbalance undermines the equitable principles outlined in Act 20 of 1993 and reinforced by several directions issued by the Madras High Court, Mr. Velusamy said.

In his petition, he sought in writing from the Executive Engineer, Aliyar Basin Division, WRD, the purported stand of the department that intervention (in water distribution) could be authorised only by the Chairperson of PAP Project Committee, and not at the departmental or field level.

In his reply, R. Narendiren, Executive Engineer, WRD, Aliyar Basin Division, Pollachi, cited the statement of the president of Distributory Committee No. 6 that has jurisdiction over Pongalur Sub-Division to deny the charge of uneven water distribution.

The president of the Distributory Committee No. 6 had stated that there was equitable distribution of water under the jurisdiction of Pongalur sub-division and that water was distributed in equitable manner up to tail end under Participatory Irrigation Management. The statement also claimed that right quantity of water was made available at Vellakoil Branch Canal at zero point.

The onus was on the Distributory Committee No. 8 of Kangayam area to distribute available water at zero point of Vellakoil Branch Canal that runs to a length of 27.6 km among the farmers as per the Tamil Nadu Farmers Management Irrigation System Act 2000 under participatory irrigation management.

During the discussion at the farmers’ grievance redressal meeting on Friday, District Collector Manish S. Narnaware said an elaborate discussion on PAP water distribution will be conducted next week, to arrive at a solution.