A motor being used to draw water from Bhavanisagar Dam in Erode district in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M
With storage in the Bhavanisagar Dam remaining poor and water release for irrigation withheld for the current season, farmers’ organisations in the district have raised strong objections to the alleged pumping of several lakh litres of water a day directly from the reservoir by a farmer.The farmer has allegedly installed a 3-HP motor on a trolley in the water-spread area of the reservoir at Kanrayanmokkai village in Periyakallipatti panchayat of Bhavanisagar block and has been drawing water for a farm. Farmers’ organisations have demanded stringent action against the alleged unauthorised pumping and sought measures to prevent such extraction from the reservoir.At noon on Tuesday, the water level in the reservoir stood at 51.96 ft against the full reservoir level of 105 ft, while the storage was only 4.91 tmc ft against its capacity of 32.8 tmc ft. With the storage remaining poor, water has not been released for irrigation this season, leaving farmers dependent on the reservoir without water for cultivation.The Bhavanisagar Dam, also known as the Lower Bhavani Dam, was constructed across Bhavani River between 1948 and 1955. It is the first major irrigation project executed in the State after Independence and the second-largest reservoir in Tamil Nadu. Its water spread area at the full reservoir level is 78.76 sq. km.Water from the dam is supplied through the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) Canal, which irrigates 2.07 lakh acres in Erode, Tiruppur and Karur districts. The Bhavani River also feeds the Kalingarayan Canal, which covers 15,743 acres, and the Thadapalli and Arakkankottai channels, which irrigate 24,504 acres.According to a local resident, the farmer has been drawing water from the reservoir round the clock for several years. “Water is drawn throughout the day and night,” the resident said on condition of anonymity. Previously, two motors were reportedly used to draw water from the dam, but one farmer has since removed his motor, the resident said.The electricity connection for the motor has reportedly been obtained from nearby farmland, and the water is being supplied to the farm. As the motor is mounted on a trolley, it can be shifted as the water level in the reservoir recedes, the resident said. While local residents remained tight-lipped about the alleged activity, a few farmers in the area said officials of the Water Resources Department and the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) were aware of the pumping.M. Ravi, convenor of the Keel Bhavani Pasana Pathukappu Iyakkam in Erode, Tiruppur and Karur districts, strongly condemned the alleged pumping and demanded stringent action against the farmer. “We are unable to take up cultivation as water could not be released owing to poor storage. But it is unacceptable for a farmer to enjoy an uninterrupted water supply illegally,” he said.C. Nallasamy, president of the Keel Bhavani Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam, said unauthorised pumping in the upstream and downstream areas of the dam was widespread and pointed to inadequate monitoring and lack of action by officials concerned. He also pointed out that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal had ruled that lift irrigation schemes were excluded while calculating and determining each State’s share of river water. “Unauthorised pumping is rampant and concrete action is needed to prevent such irregularities,” he said.District Collector S. Kandasamy had recently warned against drawing water illegally from the Bhavani River using electric motors. “But no steps have been taken to prevent illegal pumping directly from the dam,” said a farmer from Modakkurichi taluk. Published - August 25, 2026 07:26 pm IST
