Agriculture, water supply in Krishnagiri district hit

Illegal sand mining in the main water sources such as South Pennar and the river Markandeya has affected water supply and agriculture in Krishnagiri district. Kodiyalam, Kelevarapalli Dam and KRP Dam are the main water sources for Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts. Many representations by farmers and social activists to supply water from South Pennar to Bargur, Veppanahalli, Berigai, Mathur and Uthangarai have not evoked any response from the authorities.

Several farmers here are up in arms against the proposed Gas Authority of India Ltd project to lay a pipeline from Kochi to Bangalore via Erode district for transporting gas.

They have appealed to the Tamil Nadu government and the Gas Authority of India Ltd not to go ahead with the plan.

The farmers in a memorandum to the District Collector last evening stated that the GAIL proposed to dig trenches on agricultural lands in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem and Dharmapuri districts to take the gas through pipelines.

KRISHNAGIRI: Farmers attached to the Tamizhaga Vivsaiygal Sangam (TVS) on Wednesday urged the state government to prevent Karnataka from diverting water from the Thenpenniyar river alleging that the move would cause severe water shortage in five districts of TN.

In an emergency meeting on Wednesday in Savalur village, TVS state secretary K M Ramagounder said a new plan chalked out by the Karnataka government to divert water from the Varathur lake — situated across the Thenpenniyar river — to 200 lakes in the Kolar Gold Fields area would severely affect irrigation in five districts.

CHENNAI: PWD Minister K V Ramalingam on Thursday said that as per the existing agreement, Karnataka could not construct a new dam across Thenpennai river without the consent of the Tamil Nadu Government.

Replying to an issue raised by the Congress, CPI and CPM in this regard in the State Assembly, the Minister said the Tamil Nadu Government had written to the Karnataka Government seeking an explanation for the reports about the new dam.

Farmers optimism on the state government giving a new lease to the Palar river has come a cropper with media reports suggesting that the Karnataka Government plans to block the flow of water to the Pennaiyar River altogether. Farmers here were optimistic that the state government would take up with the Union Ministry of Water Resources, the proposal to divert the excess flow of water from the Thenpennaiyar River below Krishnagiri reservoir to the water-starved Palar basin through a Pennaiyar-Palar link project.

CHENNAI: With a view to checking rain water from flowing into the sea and storing water received from Krishna River for the residents of Chennai and its surrounding areas, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday ordered the creation of a new reservoir in Tiruvallur district by merging Kannankottai and Thervoykandigai lakes at an expenditure of Rs 330 crore.

An extent of 1,252.47 acres of land, including 560.05 acres of government land, will be acquired for the project and the new reservoir will be in place within two years.

The State government has sanctioned works, estimated to cost around Rs.11.49 crore, for the artificial recharge of groundwater.

They cover the formation of subsurface dykes, percolation ponds, check dams and recharge shafts/ tube wells. A release on Tuesday stated that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had approved the proposals.

It is spread over eight years and costs Rs.686.28 crore

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday announced implementation of an eight-year Rs.686.28 crore Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project to increase green cover in the State, avoid conflict between man-animal and prevent animals from migrating to grassfield in search of food and water.

Two lakh saplings to be planted across the district

As part of improving the green cover, two lakh saplings would be planted across the district, said Collector R. Lilly here on Tuesday.