Preamble

The following Act of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly received the assent of the Governor on the 19 th May 1993 and is hereby published for general information.—

ACT NO.20 OF 1993. An Act to regulate the supply of Water from the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project and matters connected therewith.

AND WHEREAS in the interest of the general public and in order that maximum possible advantage

may result in the matter of agricultural production and for bringing prosperity to the backward and

drought-prone areas, it has been considered necessary as a measure of agrarian reform, to bring more lands under cultivation in the Coimbatore and Periyar districts by regulating the irrigation system in the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project for optimum use possible in pursuance of the directive principles enshrined in the said Article 48 of the Constitution of India; AND WHEREAS the original extent of 2,02,152 acres of land are getting water supply from the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project for irrigation on rotational basis from the year 1967 by dividing the entire ayacuts of 2,152 acres of land into three zones and by supplying water once in 18 months on rotational basis to each zone ; AND WHEREAS ever since the inception of Parambikulam-Aliyar Project, there have been frequent representations from the ryots of the proverbially drought-prone taluks of Pall dam, Dharapuram,

Udumalpet and Pollachi for the extension of existing ayacut of the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project, so that

more drought-prone areas can have the benefit of irrigation; AND WHEREAS the Government have approved the extension of ayacut under Parambikulam-Aliyar Project by 1,75,000 acres of land in the above said taluks; AND WHEREAS the Government have issued orders in G.O.Ms.No.126, Public Works Department, dated the 29 th day of January 1976 adding 1,15,000 acres of land to the irrigation system covered by Parambikulam-Aliyar Project; AND WHEREAS two writ petitions were filed in the High Court, Madras in W.Ps.No.575/78 and 1309/78 against the said order and the High Court has directed that before supplying water to the new ayacutdars in the extended ayacut, the original ayacutdars are first assured of supply of sufficient water subject to availability once in eighteen months, as regularly as possible or practicable ; AND WHEREAS in view of the above direction of the High Court, Madras the Government have called for a detailed report from the Chief Engineer (Irrigation) who has reported that with the available water potential, water can be supplied to the extended area by dividing the entire ayacuts into four zones, each zone getting water for period of 41/2 months to 6 months once in two years and therefore has suggested that water may be supplied to the new ayacuts of 1.75 lakhs acres of land from the said project; AND WHEREAS the Government have after carefully considering the report of the Chief Engineer (Irrigation) and after obtaining the opinion of the experts in this matter, accepted the proposal for re- zoning the ayacuts covered by Parambikulam-Aliyar Project into four zones as feasible ; AND WHEREAS the Government, after taking into consideration the aforesaid factors, have decided to provide irrigation facilities under Parambikulam-Aliyar Project dividing the whole area into four zones, providing irrigation to each zone once in two years as against the existing three zones providing irrigation to each zone once in 18 months, in view of the drought-prone nature of the area and in view of the infrastructural facilities already created in the said Project incurring huge expenditure;

BE it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Tamil Nadu in the Forty-fourth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—