Thiruvarppu (Kottayam): A disheartened rice farmer who has been running unsuccessfully from pillar to post for the last 8 years to get water supply to his field threatened to kill himself by climbing on top of the panchayat office. NG Biju, the frustrated farmer, raised the suicide threat, by climbing on top of the government building, at 8:45 AM on Thursday.

He arrived at the panchayat office with a knot around his neck and carrying a bottle of kerosene. People were on their toes as Biju tied the other end of the rope to the top of the building. The drama continued till 11 AM. Police and fire force at the scene pacified the enraged farmer, convincing him to climb down the building via its parapet. Kottayam Tahsildar Anilkumar assured Biju that his problems will be solved. It is Biju’s brother Lohithakashan who finally untied the knot around his brother’s neck.

Biju’s land is part of the collective farm lands of Koovappuram. The water to his land was supposed to flow in from the north-west direction, through a channel (‘Kaithodu’), cutting across the land of an individual named Annammasseri Rajappan. However Rajappan had secured a stay from the court in 2016 stopping people from entering his field. As a result, the renovation works of the mini-canal had to be put on hold. But Biju argues that the stay is not applicable for the construction works and questions the logic behind stopping it. However, agriculture and water departments, and the panchayat did not entertain his pleas, wary of the stay issued by the court in the matter. 

Biju, who had purchased his farmland in 2015, faced difficulty in finding adequate water supply. He even dug well for irrigation purposes for three years consecutively in 2018, 2019, and 2020. But still failed to find enough water for cultivation. Fixing the mini-canal (Kaithodu) was the only option left for him.

At present, Biju’s livelihood is at stake and it is his wife who supports the family through MGNREGA works. Thiruvarppu grama panchayat president Ajayan Menon said that the panchayat cannot act on the issue citing the court order.

Meanwhile, agriculture minister P Prasad has instructed the district principal agricultural officer to look into Biju’s complaints with immediate effect.