Coimbatore : About 30 farmers were arrested here Wednesday for attempting to burn the copies of Indian Telegraph Act 1885 to lodge their protest against the erection of HT lines through farmlands by Power Grid.

The farmers raised slogans against both the Centre and Tamil Nadu governments for installing HT lines in their land, as it could affect the fertility of the land and wanted them to shelve the project.

They said that the Government can lay the lines underground as was done in neighbouring Kerala.

As a few farmers attempted to tear the copies of Act and burn them, police prevented and arrested them and took them in a van.

They also demanded the release of five farmers’ leaders lodged in the Central jail here for protesting against the officials while measuring the land in Kundadam in Tirupur district five days ago.

On the attempt to burn copies, a farmer leader said that it was a colonial act came into force in 1885, authorizing the powers that be to install telegraph lines on private and public property, which was amended time to time to suit the Government requirements under the Constitution of India.