HT line via farms: West TN farmers intensify stir, 2,500 tonnes of veggies rot

Over 2,500 tonnes of vegetables remained stagnated due to farmers boycotting the uzhavar sandhai in Tirupur South, Tirupur North, Avinashi, Palladam and Kangeyam in Tirupur district and Singanallur in Coimbatore, accounting to a business loss of Rs 25 lakh. Farmers also failed to turn up for sale at the wholesale vegetable market in Thennampalayam in Tirupur.

Hundreds of public who visited the markets to buy vegetables returned disappointed due to the closure. The farmers spearheaded by M Rajamani, president of Tamil Nadu Association for Protection of Farmers also resorted to a half-naked protest by opening ‘kanji thotti’ at Kallipalayam in Palladam.

Similarly, shops in nearly three villages — Sultanpet, Kamanaickenpalayam and Senjeripalayam — remained shut in support of the farmers’ protest. Many political parties have also extended their support.

Similar protests were organised in Erode district where farmers gagged with black clothes and covered their heads with a mukkadu (turban) as part of the protest. In Salem, the farmers organised a begging protest to highlight their plight, if their farmlands were taken away by the government.

The proposed power line is likely to cut through farmlands in as many as 13 districts across Tamil Nadu including Karur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai, Dindigul and Tirupur.

The protesting farmers expressed anguish over the power lines traversing through thousands of acres of fertile farmlands, which may lead to the loss of their livelihood.

Farmers also fear that their lands would lose their market value if the power lines crisscross through their lands. Farmers have been demanding to lay the power cables underground similar to Kerala.