Farmers urge authorities to desilt irrigation, supply channels

Farmers of Madurai district urged the authorities concerned to take steps to desilt irrigation and supply channels in the district, at the farmers grievance redress meeting held at the Madurai Collectorate on Friday.

At the meeting presided over by Madurai Collector Nishant Krishna, the farmers said workers could be engaged under the VB-G RAM G Act scheme for desilting irrigation and supply channels.

A section of farmers from Kovilankulam, which receives electricity supply through Vikramangalam sub-station, complained about a faulty transformer. They said the farmers of the area had contributed an amount totalling ₹40,000 to get it fixed. However, no steps were taken, they said.

They alleged that the farmers were being forced to pay an amount. Transformers were repaired only when the amount was paid, they said. However, Tangedco authorities clarified that there was no need for anyone to pay any amount to anyone and urged the farmers not to pay anyone to get it fixed.

Some of the other issues raised by the farmers at the meeting included the demand for reopening the National Cooperative Sugar Mills at Alanganallur in the district. The farmers also complained that wild boars were damaging the crops.

They said the Keralam government had implemented authorised culling of wild boars through local bodies thereby protecting the crops. The Tamil Nadu government should also implement this method, they said.