Members of various farmers associations, political parties, industrial associations and general public observed a fast here on Tuesday urging the Centre to prevent the Kerala Government’s move to construct a dam across Siruvani River in Attapadi.

Senior functionaries of various political parties including Erode MP A. Ganesamurthy and former Union Minister Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan took part in the protest which was led by Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam district president E. R. Kumarasamy.

A functionary of Hindu Makkal Katchi resorted to a novel protest in Chennimalai on Monday to oppose the Kerala government's move to construct a dam across River Siruvani at Attapadi.

State Public Relations Co-ordinator of the party T. Senthil Kumar performed angapradakshinam at the Chennimalai Murugan temple to express his protest as Kerala's move would affect the farming community in Erode, Tirupur and Coimbatore districts. Siruvani was one of the tributaries of River Bhavani, which was the primary source of water for irrigation in Erode district.

Farmers in the Lower Bhavani (LBP) Project ayacut have appealed to the public works department to check the unauthorised pumping of water from the rivers and water carrying channels in the district immediately.

A few persons in the old ayacut of LBP, which comprises Thadapalli, Arakkankottai and Kalingarayan ayacuts, were drawing water illegally from the Bhavani and Cauvery rivers and water carrying channels using motor pumpsets.

The State Government will plant more than 680 crore saplings on private lands in the next eight years, Forest Minister K.T. Pachamal has said.

The government had come up with the initiative to increase the green cover as the State currently had a green cover of 21.76 per cent, he said after inspecting the Vellode bird sanctuary here on Monday. The government had already launched a massive initiative to plant 64 lakh saplings in April, he added.

The practice of washing the dyed fabrics in River Cauvery still remains unchecked in the district, adding more pollution to the river water that is already too dirty and becoming unfit for human consumption.

The units have been carrying out the practice with much impunity and the authorities here have not initiated any serious efforts to deter them. Many units resort to the practice of washing the toxic dyes and dirt from the fabrics in the river as it is much cheaper and it involves less trouble.

Political parties, farmers, traders to observe fast on July 17

Members of various political parties, farmers associations, trading community and various other organisations in the district have decided to observe a token fast in Erode on July 17 to protest against the Kerala Government's move to construct a dam across the Siruvani River in Attapadi. The decision was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association (TFA) District President E.R. Kumarasamy here on Sunday.

The police on Friday arrested a person who was reportedly found operating an unauthorised textile processing unit and dumping untreated effluents into water sources, based on a complaint from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

A team of officials from the TNPCB found a person running illegal textile processing units in Periyasemur area a few days ago and letting out untreated effluents into Pichakkaranpallam Odai, a water course in the town.

An emergency meeting of leading political parties convened by Communist Party of India (CPI) in Tirupur on Wednesday has resolved to conduct agitation in protest against the proposed move by Kerala government to construct dams across various inter-state rivers that bring water to Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu would approach the Supreme Court and will not be a 'silent spectator' if Kerala Government went ahead with its plan to build a dam across the Siruvani river, Public Works Minister K V Ramalingam has said.

"Tamil Nadu will not give up its rights with regard to Siruvani and Mullaperiyar," he told reporters here yesterday. He said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had written to the Prime Minister asking him to advise Kerala not to proceed with the irrigation scheme or any other project on the Siruvani at in violation of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final order.

More parties and organisations extend support

With more than 31 organisations coming together, the stage seems to be set for a human chain agitation at Gandhipuram in Coimbatore on Monday to protest Kerala’s decision to construct a dam of 450m length at Chittur – Venkadal in Attappady across River Siruvani, a source of water for the Bhavani. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko, on Sunday, had already launched a campaign sensitising the people on the effects that Kerala’s proposed dam and power house project at Pambaru would cause to the Amaravathy basin.