Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem MP has made a request to the government to pay compensation to Muslim farmers of Muttur and Thoppur whose paddy crops have been destgroyed due to the Mavil Aru irrigation blockade.
This request was made subsequent to the leader's two day visit last week to the affected Muttur and Thoppur areas and also the Kantalai area where the displaced Muslims are living as refugees. The affected farmers explained the extensive losses incurred by them due to the irrigation blockade.
During his visit Hakeem also went to see the Allai Kulam irrigation tank that is now in a fully parched state and the withered crops in paddy fields. He also observed that paddy crops in other adjacent villages such as Alayadikudah, Vilankulam, Puduveli, Kiranveli and Sinna Poomalaivettu were also destroyed. The affected farmers brought to the notice of the leader that in some villages where paddy crops were intact were now being ruined by herds of stray cattle coming from Sandanavettai area.
The farmers depended on the Allaikulam Tank for Irrigating 1500 acres of paddy lands and for other water requirements including drinking water, the affected people told. Volleys of artillery shells that struck the tank killed all fish life and heads of cattle and the emanating stench is a major health hazard, they told. They also told that certain government high officials were trying to prevent compensations being paid to the Muslim farmers while limiting all such payments to farmers belonging to the majority community of Seruwila and Kantalai. The farmers insisted that in case of such a partial attitude , the SLMC should take up the matter on an international level.
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