Farmers' Fury: Bhavanisagar Water Diversion Sparks Widespread Protests

A simmering discontent has erupted into a passionate protest as ayacut farmers, whose livelihoods are intricately tied to the life-giving waters of the Bhavanisagar dam, vehemently oppose government plans to divert this precious resource to other schemes. For generations, these farmers have relied on the dam's bounty to irrigate their fields under the sprawling Lower Bhavani Project (LBP), and they now fear that proposed diversions will critically jeopardize their agricultural future and traditional water rights.

The core of the farmers' contention lies in the fundamental purpose of the Bhavanisagar dam.

Established explicitly to ensure irrigation for a massive 2.07 lakh acres within the LBP ayacut area, the dam has been the cornerstone of agricultural prosperity in the region. Farmers argue that any diversion of water from this primary allocation constitutes a direct threat to their survival, challenging the very principle upon which the dam was built.

Their ire is primarily directed at the Athikadavu-Avinashi ground water recharge scheme and the Kalingarayan Palar scheme, both of which are slated to draw water from the Bhavanisagar dam.

Farmers question the rationale behind feeding these schemes with water they believe is already insufficient for their own sustained needs. The Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme, in particular, utilizes water from the LBP canals for groundwater replenishment, a move farmers assert is a direct affront to their direct irrigation requirements.

S.

Nallasamy, president of the LBP Farmers’ Welfare Association, articulated the collective anxiety, stating that the water availability for the LBP ayacut has been consistently diminishing. Farmers are united in their demand for an uninterrupted water supply for a minimum of 10 months each year to sustain their crops.

They point to a crucial 1982 government order that explicitly prioritizes the LBP ayacut, allocating any surplus water to the Kalingarayan Palar scheme. However, farmers emphatically claim that no such surplus currently exists, rendering any diversion unjustifiable.

This is not the first time such a conflict has arisen.

Past attempts to divert Bhavanisagar dam water have met with similar, strong opposition from the farming community. The current protests, spearheaded by organizations like the LBP Farmers’ Welfare Association and the Federation of Farmers’ Associations of Bhavani and Kalingarayan Palar, underscore a deep-seated distrust and a fierce determination to protect their historical entitlements.

In a powerful demonstration of their resolve, the farmers recently submitted a comprehensive petition to the Collector, outlining their grievances and demanding immediate government intervention.

They stressed that diverting water to other schemes without first securing the LBP ayacut's needs would be a betrayal of trust and an economic disaster for thousands of farming families. Their message is clear: the Bhavanisagar dam is their lifeline, and they will fight tooth and nail to ensure its waters continue to nourish their fields and sustain their communities.