A group of farmers, all affiliated to Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, descended onto the completely dried Arasalar river at Sundaraperumalkoil village and staged a demonstration today with black flags to draw the attention of the PWD officials to reconstruct the completely damaged bed dam.

The bed dam at Sundaraperumalkoil village across the Arasalar river was constructed some 15 years back. Out of which about 2,000 acres of agriculture lands located at Aariyapadaiyur, Pudhupadaiyur, Sundaraperumalkoil, Manappadaiyur, Cholanmaligai and Patteeswaram areas will get irrigation facility, sources said.

The bed dam all caved in suddenly and was damaged completely last year even before water was let into Arasalar river, making it impossible for the authorities to store the water. “It has not been reconstructed despite repeated plea made by the farmers to the District Collector and the PWD officials,” Swamimalai Vimalanathan , district secretary, Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said.

It got damaged due to substandard construction and indiscriminate, illegal sand quarrying by vested interest in collusion with the PWD, revenue officials and police, he alleged.

The PWD officials, however, said that a proposal for constructing the bed dam has now been sent to the government. It will be constructed soon after receiving funds, the officials said.