Farmers dependent on the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) have urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately release ₹14.98 crore for dredging and restoring irrigation channels across Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Erode districts, warning that poorly maintained canals could cause significant water losses as the southwest monsoon continues to underperform.

Scale of the Irrigation Network

The PAP irrigates nearly 3.80 lakh acres of farmland through an extensive channel network fed primarily by the Thirumoorthy and Aliyar dams. Under the Thirumoorthy system, approximately 1.90 lakh acres receive irrigation annually across two zones — around 95,000 acres per zone. This season, water is scheduled for lands under Zones 2 and 3. The Aliyar system separately irrigates about 25,000 acres each year.

What Farmers Are Demanding

Water Users Associations under the PAP — 150 in total, comprising 134 under the Thirumoorthy Dam system and 16 under Aliyar — have identified 229 canal restoration works across the network, estimated at ₹14.98 crore. Farmers say annual dredging and vegetation removal are essential to maintain the carrying capacity of channels and ensure water released from reservoirs reaches tail-end agricultural areas without avoidable losses. The associations say they lack the resources to undertake large-scale maintenance independently and are dependent on government funding.

Political Background and Funding Gaps

Thirumoorthy Reservoir Project Committee chairman Medical K. Paramasivam said canal maintenance had previously been carried out under the Kudimaramathu scheme during the AIADMK government. He alleged that no funds were allocated for such works during the first four years of the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) administration. Following repeated representations from farmers, ₹10 crore was reportedly sanctioned last year for channel cleaning — but farmers say that was insufficient, and the current backlog requires fresh allocation.

Representations to the Government

Farmer representatives have approached three ministers in the current TVK government, including those handling finance, water resources, and the minister in charge of Tiruppur district, seeking early sanction. According to farmers, assurances were given that funds would be released, but the allocation is still awaited. A Water Resources Department official confirmed the proposal has been forwarded to the Finance Department and is pending approval, adding that officials expect the sanction to come through shortly.

Monsoon Shortfall Adds Urgency

With the southwest monsoon failing to deliver adequate rainfall this season, farmers warn that any further delay in clearing the canals could significantly reduce the effectiveness of water releases from the reservoirs — compounding an already difficult agricultural year for the three districts. This comes amid broader concerns across Tamil Nadu about water availability for the kuruvai and samba cropping seasons.