VELLORE: When the Tamil Nadu government has come to a standstill following a stand-off between the power centres within the ruling AIADMK in capturing the government, the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh government has taken up a series of construction works to build new check dams and raise the height of the existing check dams across Palar Though the TN government had filed a case against the AP government's construction activities, which is a gross violation of Mysore-Madras Agreement 1892, in the Supreme Court, it failed to pursue the legal courses to win back the riparian rights of the farmers of Tamil Nadu.The lethargic attitude of the state government has given a free hand for the AP government to take up a series of construction activities across the Palar river, which is the lifeline of the northern districts of Tamil Nadu.Sources claimed that the AP government had taken up construction works to increase heights of the check dams in at least seven places in Sivaramapuram, Palaru, Kollamaduvu, Giddegaanipenta, Nayanur, Pokkilrev and Shanthipuram. The height of the check dams have been raised up to eight to 10 feet. The construction works has been completed at Sivaramapuram and Shanthipuram.It has also constructed a huge check dam across the Palar deep inside the forest, which was about 5km from Kothapalli Nullugunda in Chittoor district. "The AP government has turned a masonry check dam into a concrete structure to store 2 to 3 TMC water. The structure stood at 50 feet tall and 200 feet length. It can store water up to three kms of the upstream of the river," claimed A C Venkatesan of Palar Pathukappu Sangam.He raised the issue during the farmers' grievance day meeting held at collectorate on Friday. Responding to this, the officials of PWD said the check dam works were carried out across China Eru, a tributary of the Palar, which located seven kms in the upstream of the Palar from the inter-state border at Perumpallam near Vaniyambadi.Retorting the PWD official, the activist said that they visited all the sites and recorded it. The construction workers were in full swing in several places, particularly in the Palar river. The AP government had also utilising the fund allocated for forest department to construct check dams across the Palar. "The AP government has also distributed motor pumps to the farmers living on either side of the riverbed to pump water from the check dams," he added.The farmers have demanded that the Tamil Nadu government allocate fund for the Thenpennai-Palar Rivers Linking Project, which was initiated in 2008-2009. It was aimed at diverting the flood water from Krishnagiri reservoir to Palar River from Nedungal."Going by the series of construction activities across Palar in AP that increased the water storage level to manifold, even single drop of water will not flow into the riverbed of the Palar in Tamil Nadu in the future. Only the Thenpennai-Palar Rivers Linking Project will give help the farmers here sustain the agriculture activities," he further said.

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