Tiruvannamalai farmers fear livelihood loss as Nandan Link Canal project lands acquired

Farmers from villages near the Sathanur dam in Tiruvannamalai district on Thursday protested in front of the Office of the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) near the Old Collectorate Office, opposing the acquisition of agricultural land for the proposed Nandan Link Canal project to be implemented by the Water Resources Department (WRD).

The farmers said that the land identified for the multi-crore project covers a large tract of agricultural land in the villages near the dam. They argued that acquiring these lands would deprive them of their livelihood. "We have been cultivating our lands for generations. Where will we go and what alternative work do we know?" asked G. Suresh Babu, a farmer and an organiser of the protest.

According to the farmers, landowners in the identified areas were asked to submit objections to the acquisition. They said that despite submitting their objections, revenue officials are carrying out preliminary works for acquisition, including surveys and marking of identified lands.

WRD officials, meanwhile, said that around 355 acres of land spread across 14 villages between Sathanur dam and Samudram village, a distance of 28.95 km, have been identified for acquisition. "The aim of the project is to rejuvenate the existing defunct Nandan Canal with surplus rainwater during the Northeast monsoon. Water in the Nandan Canal will help to increase groundwater level, thereby expanding the total acres under cultivation in the region," said S. Sakthi Selvam, Assistant Engineer (AE), WRD (Kilpennathur).

The project involves constructing a main canal and a link canal between Sathanur dam and Samudram village near Cheyyar town. Samudram lake is the confluence of the Aliyar and Thurinjal rivers, tributaries of the Then Pennaiyar river. The British-era Nandan Canal originates near this confluence. The new link canal will be connected to the Nandan Canal at Samudram lake, and excess rainwater is expected to rejuvenate the old canal.

The project is divided into two phases. The first phase covers the construction of the main Nandan Link Canal over 12.45 km between Sathanur dam and Pachal village near Chengam town along the Then Pennaiyar river. It will also help connect the Palar and Cheyyar rivers by discharging excess rainwater into them. The new main canal will be around 12 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep.

In the second phase, a branch link canal covering 16.5 km will be built. The size of this branch canal will vary due to the topography. It will be connected to Samudram lake.

The Nandan Canal was once the lifeline of 120 villages in Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai districts. Built by the British in the late 18th century, the canal originates from the Thurinjalaru River in Tiruvannamalai and runs 10.40 km in Tiruvannamalai district and 25.46 km in Villupuram district. During its peak, the canal fed 36 tanks and helped irrigate around 1,500 acres in Tiruvannamalai and 5,000 acres in Villupuram.

The protests highlight a conflict between developmental infrastructure and the rights of farmers dependent on the land. While the WRD maintains that the project will benefit the region by increasing groundwater levels and expanding cultivation, affected landowners fear displacement from land that has sustained their families for generations. The district administration has yet to announce how it will address the farmers' concerns.