Tamil Nadu: Farmers oppose check dam at Uthama Cholapuram
They claim that the check dam would never serve the purpose, but would result in heavy salinity of water due to easy entry of seawater into the river.
CHENNAI: Farmers from Nagapattinam have been opposing the proposed check dam at Uthama Cholapuram across Vettar, around 7.50 km away from the sea.
They claim that the check dam would never serve the purpose, but would result in heavy salinity of water due to easy entry of seawater into the river. The land structure is also not conducive, and the farmers are demanding that the check dam be relocated.
The state government had sanctioned a sum of Rs 50 crore for the check dam at Uthama Cholapuram in Nagapattinam to prevent seawater from entering the Cauvery tributary Vettar.
As per the land structure, the sea level is higher than the plains, and so the sea water would easily enter the Vettar, which might result in salinity of water up to 50 km away from the sea. However, the spot identified at Uthama Cholapuram is around 7.50 km away from the sea.
“Scientifically, the check dams at estuaries would only benefit when they are constructed as close as possible proximity from the sea otherwise, they would fail to serve the purpose,” said PR Pandian, President, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations, after visiting the spot.
Pandian said, during 2016, the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa constructed check dams under renovation of estuaries at an estimated cost of Rs 960 crore at Harichandra river, Adapparu, Pandavayaru and Valavanaaru, and they were constructed very close to the sea and thus, the seawater was prevented from entering the rivers.
“Similarly, the present check dam should also be constructed close to the sea; otherwise, the farmers would be affected a lot,” said Pandian.
The farmers from Uthama Cholapuram had been protesting with a demand to relocate the construction of the check dam. But the expert team, which had studied the spot, found that the land close to the sea was not favourable for constructing the check dam, and so they recommended going ahead with the construction at the same spot.
However, Pandian pointed out that there were several other constructions existing in the spot suggested by the farmers.
He said that the check dam at the present location would affect the farmers from at least 30 villages, and so the state government should immediately constitute a high-level committee to study the place and recommend the construction as per the suggestion by the farmers.