Various farmers’ associations in the district have urged the government to frame regulations for the Athikadavu–Avinashi project, implemented through lift irrigation to fill 1,045 water bodies and irrigate 24,468 acres in Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts.

At a joint meeting held here on Sunday (August 24, 2025), office-bearers of the Keel Bhavani Murai Neer Pasana Vivasayigal Kootamaippu, Keel Bhavani Ayacut Nila Urimaiyalargal Sangam, Thadapalli–Arakkankottai Bhavani Nadhi Neer Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam, Kalingarayan Pasana Vivasayigal Sabai, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam and other associations participated and passed resolutions.

A resolution said the project was designed to divert 1.5 tmc ft of surplus water from River Bhavani, downstream of the Kalingarayan anicut at Kalingarayanpalayam, by pumping it through pipelines to fill water bodies and irrigate farmlands in the three districts. The government must clearly define and publish, through an official notification, the period for drawing water and the quantum to be released under the scheme, it added.

The associations pointed out that in the case of the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP), irrigation rights are guaranteed under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, with separate rules in place. Guidelines for coordinated management of the LBP canal, Thadapalli–Arakkankottai canals and the Kalingarayan canal have also been framed, and water management is carried out accordingly.

However, they noted, for the Athikadavu–Avinashi project, details such as the quantity of water to be released from the Bhavanisagar Dam, the drawal period, and other operational guidelines remain undefined. A proper set of rules should therefore be framed and strictly implemented by the government, the resolution demanded.