The State government’s Budgetary announcement on expediting river interlinking project, especially the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar river link project, and the proposals for carrying out feasibility studies for building barrages across the River Cauvery and ecological restoration of the Cauvery Delta have largely found favour with farmers’ organisations in the central region.

“Though the allocation of just ₹150 crore for the Cauvery-Gundar project is meagre, we welcome it, as the government has taken the project into consideration after it was in cold storage for the past five years,” said G.S. Dhanapathy, State General Secretary, Farmer’s Forum of India, commenting on the State Budget proposals. He suggested that the government could seek funds for the project from the Centre or even raise a loan from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for executing the project.

The project seeks to divert flood discharges in the Cauvery to the water-scarce southern parts of the State by building a 262-km link canal from the Mayanur barrage on the Cauvery to the Vaigai and the Gundar. Construction of the canal by the Water Resources Department at two small stretches for about 10 km under Phase I of the project has been completed so far, but the project has not made any further progress.

Proposals on taking up feasibility studies for building barrages across the Cauvery, to store flood discharges, and the ecological restoration of the Cauvery Delta, with an allocation ₹10 crore each, have also been welcomed by farmers’ organisations.

“It is commendable that the TVK government has taken efforts towards developing irrigation and water management in its very first Budget,” said P.R. Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers’ Associations of Tamil Nadu.

However, some of farmers’ leaders, such as Cauvery Dhanapalan, president of Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootamaippu, and Swamimalai Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers’ Protection Association, pointed out that detailed project reports for the construction of a few barrages across Cauvery and Kollidam rivers had already been prepared and were awaiting execution.

The allocation of ₹9,264 crore for the Water Resources Department should be effectively utilised for the renovation of irrigation tanks and other waterbodies, which have been lying in neglect for years, observed Mr.Dhanapathy.

Veteran farmers’ leader Mahadhanapuram V.Rajaram, however, felt that announcements on implementation of river interlinking projects have become routine in every Budget and emphasised the need for taking steps to store the flood discharges by constructing barrages and renovating the 25,000 lakes in the State.

Disappointment over the absence of an announcement on complete waiver of crop loans and hiking the procurement price of paddy and sugarcane, and calls for a substantial increase for the agriculture sector were also aired by the farmers’ organisations. “Unless you increase the allocation to the sector to at least 10% of the Budget, you cannot expect overall growth or bring about any change,” observed Mr. Dhanapalan.

“We are waiting with hope that announcements on full waiver of crop loans for small and marginal farmers and 50% waiver for big farmers and increasing the procurement prices will be made in the Agriculture Budget to be tabled on Thursday,” said Mr. Pandian.

Published - August 05, 2026 07:37 pm IST