- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister introduced a bill in the state legislative assembly to declare the Cauvery Delta region in the state as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone.
- The bill excludes Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur and Karur districts and parts of Cuddalore and Pudukottai regions from its ambit. Also, the bill does not address the issues concerned with the existing industrial or oil extraction projects in the Delta region.
- According to the bill, a 30-member committee with the chief minister as its head will be set up to advise the government to protect and improve the farming activities in the region. The committee, which will be headquartered in Chennai, will also advise on increasing the farm production in the region.
- The bill is proposed to protect agriculture and prohibit certain activities in this region as non-farming activities are adversely affecting agriculture and threatening state’s food security.
- The proposed agriculture zone, as per the bill, includes Thanjavur, Thirvarur, Nagapattinam and five blocks in Cuddalore and Pudukottai. The bill fails to include Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur and Karur which are geographically included in the Cauvery Delta.
- The government may add or omit any areas in the future,” states the bill, which also talks about the projects that adversely affect agriculture in the region.
- Zinc smelter, iron ore process plants, copper smelter, aluminium smelter tannery and ship breaking industries are prohibited in the agriculture zone as it will affect agriculture developments in the region. Also, this list of projects, which is called as the second schedule of the Act is also subject to addition and omission in the future.
