TIRUCHY: Farmers staged a protest on Thursday against the officials who had undertaken the repair of a sub canal of Grand Anicut (GA) canal with poor quality that would affect irrigation process in at least 1,800 acres in Thanjavur.

According to the farmers, the GA canal irrigates at least 2 lakh acres in Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts and at least 4,200 cusecs would be released each year for irrigation. However, in recent times, the retaining walls of the GA canal became weak due to aging, the local farmers demanded a repair works and so the state government initiated renovation works to the tune of Rs 2,639 crore in 12 phases for the past two years. The works included the repair of aqueducts in the region.

Meanwhile, the repair works of 5G channel, a branch of GA canal, which irrigates an area of 1,800 acre at Manojipatti and Reddipatti in Thanjavur was said to be undertaken in a shoddy manner. For instance, the farmers said that the irrigation drains were less than one foot wide, which would discharge less water. This drain previously had around three feet width. “We approached the officials several times and appealed them to replace the smaller one, but they rejected our appeals. So, we found no other option but to stage a protest,” said farmers.