The Hindu : Govt. directed to release Bhavani water

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Govt. directed to release Bhavani water

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI FEB. 25. Coming to the aid of thousands of Odd Turn farmers depending on the Lower Bhavani irrigation water project, the Madras High Court today directed the Government to release water into the distribution system for 18 days--from February 26 to March 15.

Justice P. Sathasivam said: "The State has a bounden duty to protect the thousands of farmers who are in great predicament. Based on the GO dated December 4, 2002, thousands of Odd Turn agriculturists have raised crop after the first wetting under the legitimate expectation that the Government would ensure the remaining supply through the next two wettings".

The water irrigates over two lakh acres of land in Erode and Karur districts. The entire ayacut is divided into two groups - Odd Turn sluice land and Even Turn sluice land - and water is released by the PWD in turn system. While the OT land did not get water since January 2001, the ET farmers got water up to January 10, 2002.

Meanwhile, the Government issued an order in December 2002 proposing to release water to OT farmers for a period of 40 days in three phases. The entire scheme got mired in litigation after one wetting in December last.

In its present petition, the Lower Bhavani Farmers Federation stated that under similar circumstances in 2001, the Government ordered release of 2,000 cusecs from the Kundah Hydel Reservoir to save standing crop.

Stating that as against the Government promise to release water for 40 days, the OT farmers got water only for 22 days, the petitioner-federation said the Government should be directed to release water for another 18 days to save land `under the peril of perishing'.

The Additional Advocate-General, R. Muthukumarasamy, said the hydel project had to balance the water requirement on one hand and the need to generate power for peak hour consumption on the other. However, he said it would be possible for the Government to supply for 18 days approximately for the third wetting of standing crop.

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