The overflowing Vaigai Dam... It is painful to waste it in the sea..!?
However, due to the safety of the dam, a flood warning has been issued to the people of 5 districts as excess water is released at the rate of 4500 cubic feet per second. Due to this, the people of agricultural Perungudi are very worried that the water which should be used for agriculture will be completely wasted. In Ramanathapuram district, 1.67 lakh hectares of wetlands are waiting for Vaigai water. Vaigai irrigation water reaching 3 lakh 96 thousand 245 acres of big kanmai, 600 cubic feet, is stored in Kalari kanmai and from there it is used for agriculture through 58 small kanmai.
But due to improper drainage of the culverts, all the water coming out of the Vaigai dam is getting wasted in the sea through the Panaikulam river bridge in the estuary area and the farmers are suffering a lot. To store additional water coming from Parthipanur Dam to Ramanathapuram Periya Kanmai, to strengthen the banks and widen the route to Periya Kanmai and to completely remove oak trees and reeds growing in the river basin,
Farmers have alleged that the vaigai river water is not being used for irrigation and is being wasted in the sea because the relevant departmental officials have not taken proper steps to clear the roads for Vaigai water to go to Uruni and Kanmai. Therefore, Seeman said that the government of tamil Nadu should take appropriate measures to properly store the scarce rainwater to be used for irrigated lands in the districts of Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram instead of wasting it.