Odd sluice farmers of LBP move High Court seeking water

The water would flow to areas served by odd-turn sluices in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) channel to save the crop on as much 1.03 lakh acres. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose, who heard the submissions of the farmers’ counsel, adjourned the hearing to April 23. 

The counsel said the farmers had been deprived of their share of water since 2015. 

The court also heard the Tangedco’s counter that it was considering the release of 50 mc ft water after power generation. The court also directed government pleader TN Rajagopal to get instructions. Petitioner’s counsel CSK Sathish submitted that the Bhavanisagar Dam was constructed in 1953 across river Bhavani to irrigate 2.07 lakh acres in the present Karur, Tirupur and Erode 

districts. 

Accordingly, the irrigation systems of Kodiverry Anicut (24,500 acres), Kalingarayan Anicut (14,000 acres) and LBP (2.07 acres) are entitled to draw water from the dams and the same had been recognised in the final award passed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. 

Noting that the Lower Bhavani Farmers’ Federation was one of the major stakeholders of the Bhavanisagar dam irrigation system, the council submitted that of the 2.07 lakh acres covered under the LBP channel, the extent was divided into ‘odd turn,’ consisting of 1.03 lakh acres and ‘even turn,’ another 1.03 lakh acres. 

As per the arrangement, the water would be released for irrigation for odd turn sluices from January to April (second season) and from August to December (first season) in a year. The next year, water would be released for ‘even turn’ sluice lands from January to April (second season) and from August to December (first season). But for the past two years, no water had been supplied for the ‘odd turn’ sluice lands.