The Tamil Nadu Farmers Association has appealed to the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to allot funds for the implementation of the Thenpennai-Palar River Link Scheme in order to facilitate a rise in the groundwater table in the dry Palar River, save agriculture from the chronic drought faced by Vellore district and improve the quality of life of the farmers in the district.
In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister and sent to the CM’s cell, C.K. Dhanapal, secretary of the association and president of the Vellore District Pambar, Palar and All Reservoir Irrigation Farmers Livelihood Protection Association said that the CM announced the Thenpennai-Palar Link Scheme in the Assembly in 2011 considering the plight of the farmers.
Water from Nedugal reservoir
The scheme envisaged bringing water from the Nedugal reservoir to the Batharapalli reservoir in Vellore district, covering a distance of 55 km, and benefiting more than 700 irrigation tanks, `kasam’ channels, lakes and ponds. But the announcement was not followed up and funds were not allotted to the scheme.
The farmers who expected an announcement about allotment of funds in the just-concluded Assembly session were disappointed that neither the CM announced the scheme nor the MLAs pressed for the implementation of the scheme. Therefore, he requested the CM to allot funds for the scheme and implement it speedily to end the woes of the farmers.
In another memorandum, the association requested the CM to declare Vellore as a drought-hit district in order to ensure payment of compensation to the affected farmers.
He recalled with gratitude the compensation of Rs2509 per coconut tree which failed to yield nuts, and Rs.1000 per coconut tree which had withered owing to the drought when she was in power between 2001 and 2006.
At present, the coconut trees in Pullur, Ramanayakanpettai, Ambalur, Kodayanji, Thimmapettai, Vadaseri and many other villages on the banks of Palar River have withered, he said.
Association wanted funds to be allotted for Thenpennai-Palar River Link Scheme
