Farmers from Mudalipalayam panchayat in Tirupur have appealed to the district administration to include Manickapuram Periyakulam and Manickapuram Chinnakulam on the Tamil Nadu e-District portal. This inclusion would allow them to apply for permission to transport alluvial soil and clay from these water bodies under a state government scheme.
Petition to officials
In a petition emailed to the district collector, tahsildar, and block development officer, the farmers highlighted that the two lakes are not listed in the e-District database. This omission prevents them from submitting applications for soil removal, which they need for agricultural use.
P Velusamy, president of the PAP Water Conservation Association, stated that Manickapuram Periyakulam (survey field no. 275) and Manickapuram Chinnakulam (survey field no. 203) together cover approximately 120 acres. Despite their size, they were left out of the portal listing.
Impact on farmers
"When farmers try to apply through the Tamil Nadu e-District portal for permission to transport alluvial soil from water bodies, these two lakes are not shown in the database. As a result, farmers are unable to submit applications and benefit from the scheme," Velusamy explained.
He noted that the two lakes were included in the scheme two years ago under the previous government. At least 100 farmers would benefit if permissions were issued, he claimed.
Urgent action requested
The farmers urged officials to take immediate steps to add these two lakes to the portal database. This would enable them to utilize the scheme for agriculture and groundwater conservation. They also plan to submit a petition during the grievance redressal meeting scheduled for Monday.
