Monsoon Fails to Quench Thirst: Water Scarcity Grips State, Official Negligence Drowns Farmers in Distress!

The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department has acknowledged that several reservoirs under the Athikadavu-Avinashi irrigation project have not received adequate water this year. These areas will be prioritised in the next monsoon.

Tamil Nadu is facing a water shortage despite heavy rainfall during this year's monsoon.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) of Tamil Nadu has acknowledged that several reservoirs under the Athikadavu-Avinashi irrigation project have not received adequate water this year.

They have assured that these areas will be prioritised in the next monsoon season. The project was commissioned on August 17, 2024.

Its objective is to divert surplus water from the Bhavani River to replenish 1,045 water bodies in the Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Erode districts.

Water Not Reaching Many Areas

Under this project, 1.5 thousand million cubic feet (TMCFT) of water was allocated for distribution this year. However, farmers in many areas have expressed concern over the insufficient water supply.

In their complaint, farmers stated that many tanks and ponds received only partial water, severely impacting agriculture despite the project being operational for over a year.

What Farmers Said About Water?

S. Appusamy, President of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association in Pongupalayam Union, said that many water bodies in the northern parts of Tiruppur district received barely 10 percent of their capacity.

"Even after the Athikadavu-Avinashi project was implemented, many villages are facing a drought-like situation. Similar problems exist in parts of Coimbatore and Erode districts. A permanent and equitable solution is needed," he added.

What Officials Said on Farmers' Concerns?

Responding to the farmers' concerns, a senior official from the WRD stated that the project relies on surplus water from the Bhavani River.

"This year, the Southwest Monsoon arrived early, and the available surplus water was already released and supplied to the connected water bodies. Approximately 95 percent of the tanks under the project received water," the official said.

Reason for Water Not Reaching

However, they admitted that about 5 percent of water bodies did not receive water fully due to technical issues such as damaged pipelines, blockages, and a poor outlet management system (OMS). "These problems affected the flow of water in some areas, and corrective measures are being implemented," the official added.

Official: Releasing More Water Not Possible This Year

The official also mentioned that releasing more water for the current year is not possible as the allocated quantity has already been exhausted.

"We are confident that sufficient surplus water will be available again next year, as the Bhavani River has had good water flow for the past three consecutive years. Water bodies that received inadequate water this time will be prioritised," the official stated.