Farmers seek desilting of waterbodies

Frustrated by years of official inaction, farmers from Panayanenthal and Ulaganenthal villages staged a novel protest outside the Sivaganga District Collector’s Office on Monday, begging for alms to demand the desilting of their long-neglected irrigation tanks.

The protesters alleged a lack of maintenance affecting two key irrigation sources near Thiruppuvanam: the Panayanenthal kanmai, which serves 209 acres of agricultural land, and the Ulaganenthal kanmai, which provides irrigation for 150 acres.

According to the farmers, neither tank has been desilted in over 60 years. Compounding the issue, the water-release sluices are severely damaged, bringing local agricultural activities to a virtual standstill.

Following the demonstration, the farmers submitted a petition to the district administration. Speaking to reporters, farmer Gopal voiced frustration over bureaucratic delays that have spanned nearly a decade, stating that they have been petitioning every level of authority—including the Chief Minister’s Special Cell, the Minister for Water Resources, the departmental secretary, and the District Collector—since 2015 to no avail.

He added that whenever inquiries are made, Water Resources Department officials repeat the exact same response that estimates have been prepared allocating ₹1.24 crore for the Panayanenthal kanmai and ₹44 lakh for the Ulaganenthal kanmai, with no actual work ever materialising on the ground.

Following police intervention, the farmers warned that they would escalate their protests if immediate steps are not taken to clear the silt and repair the damaged infrastructure ahead of the upcoming agricultural season.