Kanniyakumari Collector seeks WRD report on waterbody restoration

Status Report on Waterbodies Requested by Kanniyakumari Collector

Kanniyakumari Collector R. Alagumeena has asked the Water Resource Department (WRD) officials to provide a status report on the restoration of waterbodies affected by the ongoing four-lane project by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

This request was made during a farmers’ grievance redress meeting at the district Collectorate on Thursday. The request arose from frequent concerns raised by farmers.

Ms. Alagumeena emphasized that NHAI should start restoring waterbodies once the four-lane project in a specific area reaches 75% completion. She stated that WRD must monitor the restoration of waterbodies and prepare a list of completed and pending restorations.

Concerns Raised by Farmers

During the meeting, Chenbagasekara Pillai, a farmer from Thuvarankadu, pointed out the lack of assistant agricultural officers in each region. He noted that these officials had been helpful in providing timely information on crop diseases and other important matters.

Pillai mentioned that the district had over 40 assistant agricultural officers. However, when farmers reached out for help, they were informed that many had been transferred.

He requested the district administration to extend the water release from Pechiparai dam until March 30. He explained that the delayed water release in Anathanar canal last year negatively impacted paddy farming across the district.

Response from Collector

In response to these concerns, Ms. Alagumeena assured that necessary actions would be taken regarding the assignment of assistant agricultural officers. She added that the request for an extension of water release would be discussed with the relevant departments.

Vins Anto from the Kodhayar Irrigation Committee expressed concerns about sub-divisional meetings held by WRD. He noted that meeting dates were often announced only a day in advance, and many officials were absent.

The Collector instructed WRD officials to plan meetings ahead of time and notify farmers earlier. She also encouraged officials to join meetings via virtual calls if they could not attend in person.

Officials Present

Padmanabhapuram Sub Collector Vinay Kumar Meena, District Revenue Officer A. Poongothai, and other officials were present at the meeting.