Farmers dependent on the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) in Erode have urged the district administration to establish a transparent and permanent water allocation mechanism for the Athikadavu-Avinashi project, raising concerns over how water is currently being diverted to the scheme. The demand comes amid low water levels at the Bhavanisagar Dam, fuelling uncertainty among farmers about the source of water being channelled to the project.

About the Athikadavu-Avinashi Project

The Athikadavu-Avinashi project is a flagship initiative of the Tamil Nadu government aimed at recharging and restoring water bodies across Erode, Tiruppur, and Coimbatore districts. Around 1,045 ponds, tanks, and lakes have been interlinked through an extensive pipeline network designed to carry surplus water to drought-prone areas. With water now being actively supplied to several of these waterbodies, the project has entered a critical operational phase.

What Farmers Are Demanding

S. Periyasamy, president of the Lower Bhavani Ayacut Land Owners Association, clarified that farmers are not opposed to the project itself. 'We support the Athikadavu-Avinashi project and do not object to water being supplied to it. However, water should be provided only when surplus water is available after meeting the requirements of existing irrigation systems. Since the water level in the Bhavanisagar Dam is currently low, farmers have doubts about the source of the water being supplied to the project,' he said.

Periyasamy pointed out that structured allocation arrangements already govern the Lower Bhavani Project, the Kalingarayan Canal, the Thadapalli Canal, and the Arakkankottai Canal. He argued that a similar framework should be introduced for the Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme, and stressed that water withdrawals must remain within the sanctioned ceiling of 1.5 tmc. Farmers have formally conveyed these concerns to the district administration and sought clarity on the operational guidelines governing water diversion.

What the Government Said

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) dismissed the allegations, maintaining that no water is currently being drawn from the Bhavanisagar Dam for the Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme. A senior WRD official explained that recent rainfall had generated surplus flows in the Bhavani River through local catchment drains, and that the project is presently utilising only this excess water — flows that would otherwise drain into the Cauvery River.

'After meeting the requirements of the Lower Bhavani Project, Kalingarayan, Thadapalli and Arakkankottai irrigation systems, up to 1.5 tmc of surplus water can be allocated to the Athikadavu project. At present, we are drawing only surplus river water and not water from the dam,' the official said. According to the WRD, the Bhavani River recently recorded a surplus flow of 298 cusecs, of which 180 cusecs was diverted to the Athikadavu-Avinashi project.

The Broader Irrigation Context

The dispute reflects a longstanding tension in Tamil Nadu's water governance: large-scale inter-basin or multi-district water projects frequently intersect with the entrenched rights of traditional irrigation communities. The LBP, one of the oldest canal systems drawing from Bhavanisagar, has historically operated under tightly negotiated allocation norms. Farmers fear that without a codified framework for the Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme, ad hoc diversions could erode those protections — especially during lean monsoon years when dam storage is already under stress.

What Happens Next

Officials reiterated that the scheme is functioning within approved norms and does not affect the rights of existing irrigation systems. However, the farmers' association is pressing for a formal, written allocation protocol before the next irrigation season. How the district administration and the WRD respond to this demand will be closely watched by farming communities across the three districts that the project covers.