Farmers staging a demonstration seeking water release into the Lower Bhavani Project canal in Erode in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M.
Urging the district administration to release water from the Bhavanisagar dam into the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal to save crops on 1.03 lakh acres, farmers staged a demonstration in Erode on Tuesday (October 13, 2026).
They said 1,03,500 acres served by the canal’s even-numbered sluice gates had been deprived of irrigation water for more than 18 months, leaving several areas drought-hit. The prolonged shortage was affecting coconut and other perennial crops, with coconut trees wilting in several places, the farmers said. They also cited difficulties in providing water for cattle and warned of a drinking water crisis in some areas.
The farmers urged the authorities to follow government orders and established water-sharing arrangements while regulating reservoir releases. They alleged that deviations from prescribed procedures over several decades had led to disputes among ayacut farmers. Citing legal proceedings before the Madras High Court in 2003, they sought corrective measures to ensure equitable distribution of irrigation water.
Published - October 13, 2026 07:00 pm IST