T.N. Assembly election 2026: Amaravathi sugar mill revival, drinking water issues dominate in Madathukulam constituency

The functioning of the Amaravathi Cooperative Sugar Mill has emerged as a key issue in the Madathukulam Assembly constituency, with farmers seeking its revival to support sugarcane cultivation and ensure stable returns, even as concerns over drinking water supply and the lack of tourism development persist.

Located along the southern side of Tiruppur district, the constituency is predominantly rural, with agriculture as the mainstay, and sugarcane, coconut, paddy and vegetables cultivated across the region.

The Amaravathi and Thirumoorthy dams, which irrigate about five lakh acres, fall within its limits.

Formed in 2011 after delimitation, Madathukulam was carved out of the Udumalpet constituency. Nearly 90% of the area comprises villages, and it includes 18 hill habitations inhabited by tribal communities within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.

According to government data, Tiruppur district has 3,484 hectares under sugarcane, with a productivity of 117 tonnes per hectare. Farmers say the cooperative sugar mill has been operating with machinery installed over 70 years ago, resulting in a decline in crushing capacity. While crushing operations continued until 2023, extraction levels dropped. Since October 2024, the distillery division has been producing rectified spirit and ethanol using molasses sourced from other mills in the State.

K. Periasamy, a coconut farmer, said the closure of crushing operations has left sugarcane growers dependent on private buyers, often forcing them to sell at lower prices with limited scope for negotiation. He said there was a demand to revive the cooperative sugar mill at full capacity. Farmers have also sought the establishment of a permanent paddy procurement centre in Madathukulam taluk and a cold storage facility to reduce post-harvest losses.

Drinking water supply is also an issue, with the combined drinking water scheme sourced from Thirumoorthy and Amaravathi dams reported to be inadequate in several village panchayats. A. Anand Kumar, a resident, said people had been affected due to the lack of regular drinking water supply for over a week.

Residents say key infrastructure works remain pending, including desilting of the dams. P. Suresh Kumar, a resident, said that despite the presence of picturesque landscapes around the dam sites and hilly regions, no concrete steps had been taken to develop tourism in the area.

The condition of tribal habitations continues to be a concern. Over 2,000 people in hill villages, including Mavadappu, Kurumalai, Melkurumalai and Kuzhipatti, lack road connectivity, electricity and access to healthcare. Residents have also raised a long-standing demand for voting rights in local body elections, stating that they remain excluded, with poor connectivity continuing to affect access to essential services.

Since its formation in 2011, the constituency has seen alternating electoral outcomes, with the AIADMK winning twice and the DMK once.