THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM CLOSES DOWN IRRIGATION OF RICE FIELDS AND SEASONAL CROPS OF THOUSANDS OF FARMERS IN THE EAST
(By Walter Jayawardhana)
Los Angeles:- The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have closed the Verugal irrigation anicut depriving thousands of Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim farmers water for their crops, reported the Sri Lanka Army.
The Verugal irrigation anicut , in Trincomalee District, in the strife torn Eastern Province in the country takes water from the river called Mavil Aru and supplies water to thousands of farmers in the district , the announcement said.
The LTTE also known as Tamil Tigers have not said why they have decided to close down the irrigation scheme that is very crucial in irrigating the rice and other crops in the area.
The army said the anicut has been closed since July 20 and irrigation engineers have been notified.
But when the engineers arrived at Mavil Aru , armed men from the LTTE surrounded them and threatened them to leave the area the army said.
The report said the population in SERUNUWARA, MUTTUR, UILAMPATTU and KILIWEDDI are agricultural communities and are very dependent on Mavil Aru waters for their paddy fields and other cash crops. The report added that the majority of them are also Tamil.
The army charged that this act “ has disrupted the livelihood of thousands of innocent civilians in those villages.”
