Proposal for fencing vulnerable hotspots along PAP canal under Namakku Naame scheme stuck in red tape

The proposal mooted last year by the farmers in Kangeyam-Vellakoil belt for fencing of the PAP canal at vulnerable locations under Namakku Naame scheme to prevent dumping of wastes is apparently stuck in red tape. In a case of ‘one step forward and two steps backward’, the proposal that seemed to take off with an estimate readied by Kangeyam Municipality last year, now appears grounded as the Pongalur Panchayat has still not acted on the latest No Objection Certificate given during October by the Water Resources Department to measure the identified locations along the canal in its jurisdiction where fencing is required. Last year, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had, acting on representation by the affected farmers, submitted a report to the district administration confirming the dumping of solid waste and plastic, liquor bottles and dead hens on the banks of PAP Vellakoil Branch Canal, after inspecting the 27-km long Kangayam-Vellakovil stretch of the PAP branch canal and some of the stretches in Pongalur Panchayat. The district administration has to step in and prevail upon the Pongalur Panchayat to complete the measurement process,” PAP Vellakoil Branch Water Conservation Association president P Velusamy, said.