Farmers oppose Kerala’s move to convert water spread area as car park near Mullaperiyar dam

A large number of farmers and farmers’ welfare associations in Theni district staged a demonstration at Lower Camp on Sunday condemning the move by the Kerala government to convert the water spread area into car parking space in Mullaperiyar reservoir

A large number of farmers and farmers’ welfare associations in Theni district staged a demonstration at Lower Camp on Sunday condemning the move by the Kerala government to convert the water spread area into car parking space in Mullaperiyar reservoir.

The farmers said that the water spread area of about 2.5 acres at Alavachal, about 4 km from the dam, should be preserved. Any move to convert the space into car park area would be detrimental to agriculture. Tamil Nadu should send a delegation comprising surveyors and measure the water spread area through a court directive, they said.

The farmers also alleged that Kerala Minor Irrigation Department and the Forest Department had been opposing the plans to fell the trees. The State government should take it up with the Supreme Court and get the proposal scrapped.

When farmers announced that they would block the road on the Lower Camp, the police and other officials stopped them stating that the vehicular traffic to the Sabarimala shrine was very heavy. Farmers then staged a demonstration at the Bagawathi Amman Thidal.