Farmers protest move to establish poultry farm in village near Sulur

COIMBATORE: Nearly 150 people, including farmers and members of the Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association, staged a sit-in protest in front of the Coimbatore district collectorate on Monday demanding that the authorities not allow a private firm to establish a poultry farm in J Krishnapuram village near Sulur.District revenue officer (DRO) Dr M Sharmila and superintendent of police Dr K Karthikeyan held negotiations with the protesters. The DRO had agreed to carry out an investigation into the issue, sources said. Following the assurance, the farmers withdrew their protest. However, the farmers said they would continue the protest in their village.The approval for the establishing a poultry farm with a capacity to house 1.3 lakh chickens was issued in April.Eesan Murugasamy, founder president of Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association, alleged that the poultry farm would be the largest unit in the district. He said, "There are a couple of small broiler units functioning in this village. This unit is exclusively for layers (for egg production), which is a bigger menace to both humans and the environment. The proposed unit would require at least two lakh litres of water per day.

The location of this poultry farm is very much in the vicinity of the residents. Generally, the layer unit is established more than five feet from the ground, and these chickens stay in the unit for at least two years.

”“There would be a constant foul smell due to the poultry litter, which attracts flies. Just imagine if the village is filled with flies, will the people be able to survive? Leave aside humans, not even cattle can withstand the fly menace. There is a canal just 50 metres away from the proposed unit," he said.He alleged that the private firm had not sought any approval from the animal husbandry department and the health department for the construction of the layer unit.