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New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kangeyam, Vellakovil farmers plan stir seeking fair share of PAP water
TIRUPPUR: Farmers from Kangeyam and Vellakovil plan to besiege the Pollachi-based office of the Superintendent Engineer (SE) of the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) on June 24, demanding adequate water supply to the tail-end areas and equitable sharing. However, exposing a rift among PAP farmers, a complaint has been filed with the police and Water Resources Department (WRD) on behalf of the PAP planning committee, stating that this protest will cause law and order issues and the protest should not be allowed. Under the PAP scheme, 4.25 lakh acres of agricultural land in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts are getting irrigation. Through the Thrumurthy Dam alone, about 3.77 lakh acres are irrigated and these are divided into four zones with 95,000 acres per zone. Water is currently being supplied to the third zone. Farmers from Kangeyam and Vellakovil are planning to besiege the PAP's SE office in Pollachi in Coimbatore district on June 24, demanding fair sharing of the PAP water. P Velusamy, the President of PAP Vellakoil Branch Canal Water Conservation Movement, said, "As per the norm there should be balanced sharing of irrigation water of the PAP system. But this is completely absent as water is being drawn in excess from the main canal for supply to many branch and distribution canals. And, water theft is very rampant. We, the farmers of the tail-end, are directly affected by this." "In all 12,000 acres depend on the Vellakovil branch canal. Of this, 800 acres did not receive water for irrigation even on Saturday. We will carry out this protest for these reasons. We are mobilising farmers from village to village," he added. The Planning Committee, an elected body, of the PAP (Thirumurthy dam) has opposed this protest, faering law and order issues among farmers and collapse of the PAP system.
News18
10-05-2025
- General
- News18
When Pope Leo XIV Visited Tamil Nadu's Pollachi In 2006
Last Updated: Pope Leo XIV paid a visit to the Shenbagam Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore in 2006. Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, posed for a photograph outside the gate of a Pollachi-based school in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore nearly 19 years ago. At the time of his October 2006 visit to the Shenbagam Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Father Robert Francis Prevost was serving as the Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine. His image at the school in southern India has gone viral on social media and has also been shared by TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on Instagram. 'The new Pope. 19 years ago in 2006, a 50-year-old priest, Fr Robert Prevost visited India. He was then the global head of the Order of St. Augustine," the TMC leader wrote. He highlighted that the school was run by the 'Augustinian Fathers under the Diocese of Coimbatore". O'Brien stated that there are a total of '2,800 Augustinian priests" working in 47 countries around the world. This mission started in India 450 years ago. This was the time when the first Portuguese missionaries landed in Goa, he added. In today's times, it runs two schools and three parishes in the country. As per reports, Father Prevost served as the Prior General of the Order between 2001 and 2013. He came to India twice in 2004 and 2006 during this period. At the time, he met Augustinian communities in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He went back to his Augustinian Province in Chicago in October 2013, serving across various roles, until getting appointed as Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo in November 2014 by Pope Francis, according to Vatican News. Interestingly, Pope Leo XIV travelled from Kochi to Pollachi in a car, PTI quoted Father Wilson Injerappu, Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), regional Vicar of the Augustinian Order in India, as saying. Calling him a humble person, Father Injerappu said that Father Prevost 'encouraged the students in the school" during his visit. Father Binu Yesudasan shared that it was a proud moment for them to have Father Prevost visit the school. As per the news agency, Father Prevost came to India at that time to participate in the Asia-Pacific meeting of the Order of St. Augustine in the neighbouring state of Kerala. During his visit, he decided to go to the school to have a look at the functioning of the newly taken-over institution. The institution was established by a local businessman in 1995. First Published: May 10, 2025, 17:36 IST
