Lack of allocation in Agri Budget for maintenance of PAP canal disappoints farmers of tailend areas
Several thousands of farmers in the tailend of PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project) scheme in the KangayamVellakoil belt are disappointed over the lack of provision for maintenance of the irrigation canals, and for curbing water theft, in the Agriculture Budget 202425 of the State government.
The farmers in the tailend areas have been, time and again, complaining to the Water Resources Department that they have not been receiving their due share of water, and have been holding protests.
Water theft
While citing water theft along the course of the canal has been the main reason for the shortfall, the farmers in the tailend areas have also been affected a lot due to the poor condition of the canals. Clogging caused by wastes, particularly plastic materials, obstruct the flow at many points all along the course.
“The mechanism in place for carrying out surprise inspections by teams consisting of revenue, police, water resource and electricity department officials is simply not working. More often, people indulging in water thefts are alerted in time by the field staff and the socalled inspections are an exercise in futility,” said P. Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakovil Branch Canal (KangeyamVellakovil) Water Conservation Association.
Water loss in the PAP canal due to the thefts by miscreants for commercial purposes along the course exceeds 40%, Mr. Velusamy lamented.
The farmers in the tailend of the PAP system say they are genuinely disappointed over there being no announcements on addressing these issues in the Agriculture Budget
Maintenance of the 126km PAP main canal, 17 branch canals and 98 distributory canals leave much to be desired. Removal of wastes clogging the canals remains an ordeal in the absence of a strong mechanism for monitoring by the Water Resources Department, P. Muthuraj, representative of PAP Vellakoil Branch Canal Pachapalayam Water Users Association, said.
In the runup to release of water in the canal, the WRD, at one go, cleaned up the canals, but the silt remain on the embankment and eventually slips back into the canal, the farmers said. And, the piles of wastes dug out from the canal are burnt either by the department staff or the farmers.
According to the farmers, the shutters and sluices have not been maintained for over 50 years, and the Budget has no provision for this, and the water thefts have only precipitated their predicament.
Those indulging in water thefts under the garb of farmers along the PAP course continue to have their way by wielding their political clout with the officials, Mr. Velusamy pointed out.
A senior official of Water Resource Department claimed that there was no let up in the vigil against water theft.