Mon Apr 21 15:35:30 UTC 2025: ## Sivaganga Farmers Protest Illegal Closure of Irrigation Channel
**Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, April 21, 2025** – Farmers in Sivaganga district have protested the illegal closure of an irrigation channel, alleging that individuals blocked the waterway to facilitate unauthorized fishing, jeopardizing their crops.
A petition submitted to District Collector Asha Ajith on Monday detailed how farmers from Piramanur, Vayalseri, and Vadi villages near Thirupuvanam had sown paddy and cotton across 300 acres. The closure of the channel at Pudhur, they claim, has cut off the crucial water supply from the Vaigai river to the Piramanur kanmai (tank), threatening the entire harvest.
Farmers stated that while they had secured permission for water release from the Public Works Department, individuals illegally closed the channel’s shutter to engage in fishing, reportedly earning several lakhs of rupees in the process. This action, they argue, is not only illegal but also causes significant agricultural damage. The farmers fear crop failure due to the lack of irrigation water. The authorities are expected to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
First Piper 