Farmers Demand Swift Completion of Vettar Regulator Construction

Speedy Summary

• Farmers from Cauvery Farmers’ Protection Association and Desiya Thennindhiya Nadhigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam staged a protest near the Nagapattinam district collectorate on Thursday, demanding speedy construction of a regulator across the Vettar River at Uthamachozhapuram.
• The ₹49.5-crore project by the Water Resources Department aims to prevent seawater intrusion into the river, protecting agricultural areas.
• Protest leaders S. Dhanapalan and P. Ayyakannu conducted a rally from Vanchur to Nagapattinam, joined by farmers holding placards and raising slogans for the regulator and additional protection work near Narimanam.
• Members of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) staged a counter-protest at Melavanchur led by Sukumar,alleging that placing the regulator at Uthamachozhapuram could worsen seawater intrusion,deplete groundwater,and harm fertile lands in nearby villages.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The protests reflect diverging perspectives on infrastructure development aimed at water management in Nagapattinam district. The ₹49.5-crore regulator project is seen as crucial for addressing seawater intrusion by some farmer groups who fear harm to agriculture if delays persist; others argue its placement could exacerbate environmental challenges like groundwater depletion and soil infertility.This issue underscores broader challenges of balancing developmental projects wiht local ecological concerns-critical for regions heavily reliant on agriculture-and highlights fragmentation among stakeholder interests even when addressing shared water resource issues.

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