Villagers protest against unregulated silt extraction from irrigation tank

Residents formed a human chain on Mangal Koot Road in Pavoor village on Friday, to protest against unregulated silt extraction from an irrigation tank, by private contractors. Residents said that Pavoor village forms part of Vembakkam Panchayat Union near Cheyyar town.

Residents of Pavoor and those of the surrounding villages are dependent on the irrigation tank in Pavoor village for cultivation and domestic consumption. “Private contractors and brick kiln units extract a large quantity of silt from the lakebed round-the-clock.

Over-extraction of silt could affect its storage capacity during rain,” said R. Veeran, a farmer. For farmers, the tank helps irrigate at least 250 acres of agricultural lands where paddy, groundnuts, and banana are cultivated.

Residents said that water storage in the tank declines during summer. The district administration has allowed minimum extraction of silt from the tank. However, private contractors and brick kiln owners reportedly extract a large quantity of silt every day.

Residents said that the continuous flow of vehicles with loads of silt from the tank has not only affected the waterbody, but also damaged the civic infrastructure of the village, including roads and water pipelines. Residents said that despite complaints to revenue officials and local police, no action has been taken to regulate extraction of silt in the tank.

As a result, residents decided to form a human chain to protest against exploitation of the irrigation tank. Revenue officials led by tahsildar (Vembakkam) S. Durai and Dusi police pacified the agitated residents, who dispersed after assurance of action from authorities.