Farmers demanding the immediate release of water for the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) irrigation system suspended their protest at the Erode Collectorate on Tuesday night (August 11, 2026) following assurances from the district administration that steps would be taken to secure water for the ayacut.The farmers had staged the protest in front of the District Revenue Officer’s office seeking the release of “life-saving water” for the 2.07 lakh acres under the LBP system. During talks, officials of the Revenue and Water Resources Departments said it would take more than two days to receive water from the power houses in the Udhagamandalam region, including the Kundah Power House, for the Bhavanisagar Dam, and the protest continued.Later, after 8 p.m., District Collector S. Kandasamy held talks with the protesting farmers who explained how water meant for the LBP ayacut was being wasted. The Collector assured them that a committee would be constituted immediately to monitor the issue and the water available in the dam would be protected.As the ayacut area was facing severe water scarcity, the farmers urged the Collector to order immediate release of water, pointing out that six tmcft was available in the dam. As obtaining additional water from the Udhagamandalam power houses could take time, it was decided to send a proposal to the government seeking the release of water based on the storage available in the Bhavanisagar Dam.The administration also assured the farmers that steps would be taken in the meantime to obtain water from the power houses and ensure the release of “life-saving water” for the LBP irrigation system. Following the assurances, the farmers decided to suspend the protest and extend their cooperation to the district administration. Published - August 12, 2026 07:02 pm IST