COIMBATORE: Farmers from the Vellakovil-Kangayam tail-end areas called off their protest on Saturday night after officials assured them that the level of water being released from the Thirumoorthy dam into the Vellakovil branch canal would be raised from 4.4 feet to 4.7 feet within two days to improve water flow to the tail-end areas.
Officials assured them that the water level at the canal’s zero point would be raised from 4.4 feet to 4.7 feet. Farmers said water meant for the branch canal command area of about 48,000 acres, divided into four zones, was not reaching the tail-end reliably despite official assurances and reported availability in PAP reservoirs. The farmers called off the protest after police, Kangayam tahsildar Kathirvel and water resources department officials, including Udumalpet division executive engineer Prabhakar, Kangayam assistant executive engineer Balasubramaniam and junior engineers held talks with them. The protest was led by PAP Vellakovil Branch Canal (Kangayam–Vellakovil) Water Conservation Association.
The farmers launched the protest on Saturday morning after water released from the Thirumoorthy dam four days ago failed to reach the tail-end areas.