Farmers threaten poll boycott over early stoppage of water release into Kalingarayan Canal

Condemning the decision of the Water Resources Department (WRD) to stop water discharge into the Kalingarayan Canal by March 31, 2026, instead of April 30 as sought by farmers, members of the Kalingarayan Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam have threatened to boycott the Assembly election and stage a ‘waiting’ protest on March 22 until their demand is met.

The 91.10-km-long canal, constructed by Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan in the 13th century, irrigates 15,743 acres across Erode, Modakkurichi, and Kodumudi taluks, supporting thousands of farming families.

Ayacut farmers said that stopping water ahead of the harvest season would severely affect standing crops, particularly sugarcane, turmeric, and banana. They pointed out that water is usually stopped only for about 45 days annually to enable field preparation for the next crop.

The WRD had, through Government Order No. 39 dated July 24, 2025, sanctioned ₹83.30 crore for renovation of the canal stretch between mile 12-3-348 and mile 15-4.5-195. The works include construction of a retaining wall, a six-km baby canal, and a new aqueduct. A separate baby canal was also created 11 years ago from Bhavani to Vairapalayam to mitigate pollution caused by domestic waste and industrial effluents.

P.K. Sethuraja, president of the association, told The Hindu that curtailing water supply for an additional 30 days would “ruin the entire standing crops” and urged the authorities to continue release till April 30. He said the contractor could take up the proposed renovation works from May 2026 without affecting farmers.

Mr. Sethuraja alleged that there was undue haste in executing the works before the formation of the next government. “Farmers depend solely on the canal and not on wells for irrigation. Water should be released till April 30,” he said.

Farmers added that existing challenges such as pollution in the canal, labour shortages, and rising cultivation costs had already strained their livelihoods. The proposed early closure, they said, would worsen their situation, affecting over 10,000 families directly and another 5,000 indirectly.

The association has announced a ‘waiting’ protest at Solangapalayam Four Road Junction stating that it would continue until the government concedes their demand.