On ninth day, farmers stand in water-filled pits to protest HT lines

The protest, which commenced on 17 December by the farmers in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Salem districts entered into its ninth day on Tuesday. In Sultanpet, the farmers dug out a long trench, filled it with water brought in a tanker and got into it to highlight their demand.

Meanwhile, the health condition of several farmers, who continued their fasting protest for the third consecutive day, deteriorated. As their health condition worsened, medical teams deployed at the venue of the protest administered them with medicines.

About 11 persons including six women, who were fasting in Erode district became exhausted and lay down on the floor. Another group of farmers tied neem leaves to their waist and held grass in their mouth demanding the state and central government to drop its plan to take the power transmission towers through fertile farmlands.

From day one of the protest, the farmers have resorted to novel methods of protest to highlight their tough stance against the project. They held mock mourning’s, staged half-naked protests, opened ‘kanji thotti’, begging protest and boycotted ‘Uzhavar Sandhai’ over the last one week.

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, Thiruvannamalai, Dindigul and Tirupur.

The protesting farmers expressed anguish that the power lines traverse through thousands of acres of fertile farmlands, which may, in turn, lead to their loss of livelihood. They also fear that their lands will lose the market value if the power lines crisscross through their lands. Farmers have been demanding to lay the power cables underground similar like in Kerala.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said to media in Coimbatore that the centre will consider the farmer’s plea against installing power lines through farmlands.

“The BJP government has withdrawn methane and hydrocarbon projects from Tamil Nadu in the past following opposition from public. The BJP will only implement projects for the welfare of farmers,” she said.