Another farmer said, immediately after the land acquisition notification was issued in October 2018, the farmers registered their opposition to it but it was rejected. “In March 2019, a peace meeting was held by the district collector along with TNPCB official and we explained the reasons for our opposition but the project was not cancelled. The expressway passed over 13 lakes and tanks and one river. When it passed over the lakes and tanks, the connecting canals would be destroyed affecting the irrigation of the agricultural land. The whole region would be affected by it,” Seshadri said, adding that an alternative alignment suggested by the farmers were not even considered by the officials.