COIMBATORE: Shops downed shutters in parts of Erode on Monday against concrete lining of the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal.

More than 500 shops in Arachalur, Vadapalani, Vadugapatti and surrounding villages downed shutters in support of farmers’ protest.

Besides this, a large number of farmers accompanied by their family members staged a demonstration at the Erode Collectorate demanding the state government to drop the concrete lining project.

Instead of concrete lining, the farmers sought for desilting of the canal, strengthening of bunds and removing encroachments to ensure that water reaches the tail end areas of the canal. Farmers contended that concrete lining would destroy the green cover and rich bio-diversity.

The farmers submitted a petition to Erode Collector Rajagopal Sankara demanding to cancel orders issued by the past government to take up concretisation of the canal.

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