Farmers ask for closure of sand quarries in Kollidam

The farmers attached to Tamil Nadu Vivasaiygal Sangam who met the district collector KS Palanisamy said, the farmers benefitted through Cauvery-Kollidam irrigation from Tiruchy and Karur districts had undertook cultivation of paddy, banana, beetle leaves and korai grass in an area of 5 lakh acre. Since there was no water and the centre had shown step motherly treatment to Tamil Nadu, several acres of land had dried away and appear to be barren land. Meanwhile, around two lakh acre land is being cultivated with the support of ground water using motor pumps in the banks of Cauvery and Kollidam. Similarly, the ground water is being drawn for drinking purpose from Mayanur barrage to Kallanai for distribution in 18 districts including Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Perambalur, Karur, Tiruchy, BHEL and HAPP units functioning in Tiruchy districts. At this juncture, there are several sand quarries which are very active in these section of Cauvery and Kollidam river beds. This has caused heavy depletion of ground water. “Earlier, we could draw water from 15 feet to 30 feet. Now with deep dredging of sand, ground water has dried. We can get water only at 100 -  200 feet in the same river bed. This is a threat to future generation. They will not have enough drinking water,” said, Ayilai Siva Sooriyan district secretary of the sangam.

The farmers urged the collector to immediately close the sand quarries functioning in these river beds which would save the ground water in the region. Siva Sooriyan said that there are several protests being held by farmers as well as the environmentalists but the state government has been keeping quiet and this is worsening the situation.