Farmers from Upparu area in Dharapuram taluk of Tirupur district stage a second day of sit-in protest at the PWD Engineer's office in Pollachi, demanding water release from Parambikulam-Aliyar Project to Upparu dam.
Coimbatore: Tensions are running high in Pollachi as farmers from the Upparu area continue their sit-in protest for the second consecutive day at the Public Works Department (PWD) Engineer's office. The farmers are demanding the release of water from the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) to the Upparu dam in Dharapuram taluk of Tirupur district.
The protesting farmers have been urging authorities to release water to the Upparu dam for the past few days. With the onset of the southwest monsoon filling up the PAP reservoir system, the farmers intensified their demand for water allocation to their region.
According to the protestors, they have held five rounds of talks with the Water Resources Department officials, but to no avail. The farmers claim that despite having government orders and court judgments in their favor, the water resources department officials are deliberately delaying action, accusing them of having ulterior motives.
Sivakumar, representing the Upparu Farmers Protection Association, stated that they would not withdraw their protest until water is released to the Upparu dam. He further announced that the farmers plan to escalate their agitation by starting an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow if their demands are not met.
The farmers' persistent protest highlights the ongoing water distribution issues in the region and the challenges faced by the agricultural community in securing adequate water resources for irrigation.