Counter protest held demanding Kodiveri scheme

Their demand comes days after another section of farmers protested against implementing the scheme fearing that drawing water from the dam would affect farming at the Thadapalli and Arakkankottai ayacut areas.

The farmers had sought to implement the project by drawing water from Lower Bhavani and not from upper regions as proposed. Officials pacified the protesters by assuring that a committee would be formed to examine the concerns raised by farmers, and that the project would be implemented only after allaying their fears.

Meanwhile, another group of farmers led by MLA urged the officials to complete the water project without any delay. “Almost 60 per cent of the drinking water project has gotten over. The entire works will be completed in another six months. Once the project is done, about 10 panchayats in Perundurai, which were now reeling under severe shortage of water, will get a solace,” said farmers.

The protesters also claimed that implementing the project would not lead to any shortage of water for irrigation purposes. The farmers then handed over a petition to District Collector C Kathiravan demanding to implement the project at the earliest. Police were deployed in large numbers to prevent any untoward incidents in view of the protest.The project is intended to benefit 3.68 lakh people in the first phase, then increase to 4.48 lakh people in 2035 and 5.47 lakh people in 2050.