Govt orders Rs 500 cr kudimaramath

(Cleared)
Chennai: Given the battle over severe water distress, Tamil Nadu government on Thursday issued an order to take up kudimaramath scheme at Rs 499.68 crore in the current fiscal. The traditional restoration of water bodies with the support of ayacutdars will be implemented in 29 districts, after both the monsoons failed last year and left the state high and dry.Farmers, however, alleged there was lack of transparency in the massive work.
This is the third sanction in the last three years by the Edappadi K Palaniswami government towards kudimaramath -- strengthening tank bund, desilting of supply channel, surplus course, repair and reconstruction of sluices, weirs, repair and renewal of shutters, rehabilitation and desilting of canals. “The regional chief engineers are directed to implement the works as per the detailed estimates prepared and there should not be any duplication of work,” the order issued by the public works department said. The works are implemented through farmers’ organizations/council/ayacutdars and 10% of the estimated cost is borne by them either by way of providing labour or material or cash.
Many farmers demanded that transparency, accountability and consultation be in place. “The scheme is not being implemented as per the norms. The work should be done with involvement of local communities and farmers who irrigate from the water body, but that is not the reality,” Thanjavur district Cauvery farmers’ protection association, Swamimalai S Vimalnathan said. The allegation is that people with political leaning get the job and they register the associations along with friends and relatives. Result: Poor restoration. Cauvery farmers’ protection association general secretary S Dhanapalan alleged that none of the 675 user associations in the delta region were taken into consideration for kudimaramath.
Farmers in the tail-end region recall how they took to the streets last year after the supply channels remained out of bounds for flooded Cauvery to divert the waters in the tail-end Nagapattinam. “The channels and surplus courses are in dire need of attention ahead of monsoon. Let there be transparency in work,” CPM-affiliated TN Farmers Association, general secretary, P Shanmugam said. The demand is that consultative meeting should be made mandatory with the stakeholders before commencement of the work. A notice board displaying information about cost, details of work in the past and proposed for this year, the name of contractor should be put up on the banks of each water body or irrigation channels.
Lalgudi-based Punjai Sangenthi Tank water users’ association secretary S P Thiagarajan said members of all political parties are involved in the work. “The government allotted Rs 59 lakh in 2017-18 for the restoration of the tank. We cleaned up the channel for about 3.5km and reduced the water travel time to six hours from four days. Though we are affiliated to various political parties, we work together for the community,” he said. Associations like Valivalam Vaikal Pasanatharar Sangam in Thirukuvalai Taluk in Nagapattinam district, has been doing kudimaramath for a decade – on their own. “Every year, we clean up the 4km long stretch. We collect Rs 12,000 from our villagers to restore the channel that helps irrigate 240 acres. Support from PWD still not forthcoming to desilt the channel,” said VVPS president M Cheran.