Farmers of 60 hamlets in the 10 revenue villages in Tiruchengode taluk through which the Cochin to Bangalore gas pipeline is being laid have opposed the works. A ‘Vivasayegal Valvathara Pathugapu Kuzhu' (Farmer's Livelihood Protection Committee) to protect the interest of farmers who will be affected by the project, was also formed. Its president S. Rajavel said that the pipeline runs through fields in Kokarayanpettai, Thokavadi, Karumakavundampalayam, T.Kavundampalayam, Varagooraanpatti, Paapampalayam, Thevankurichi, Yemapalli, Karuveppampatti and O. Rajapalayam revenue villages and affect more than 300 farmers and about 800 acres of cultivation. S. Thangamuthu, a tapioca and groundnut farmer of Karuveppampatti and leading member of the Committee, said that the pipeline runs across – corner to corner – in his four acres of land and hinders irrigation. “Officials of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) have not told us the dos and don'ts in the fields,” he said and added that this has pushed farmers into a confused state. He recalled that revenue officials gave them a notice dated January 18, 2011 stating that gas pipelines will be laid through their fields. “They also asked farmers who owned the fields through which it is to be laid to raise their issues of concern to the officials concerned (in Salem) in 21 days from the issuance of the notice,” he said and added that many farmers opposed the project. “So far, we have not got any reply from them and a couple of days ago workers of the project dug pits to place the pipes, but we stopped them,” Mr. Thangamuthu said. Members of the committee said that they would be petitioning the Collector on Monday on the issue. Farmers claimed that media reports had mentioned that stringent action would be taken against farmers who own the fields as they will be held responsible if anything went wrong in the pipeline in their field. “We cannot monitor it all the time,” they said and added that the government could instead lay the pipeline alongside the national highways. They suggested laying it alongside the highways that runs from Coimbatore to Bangalore. They said that it would also be impossible for fire tenders and other disaster control teams to reach the pipeline in the fields, especially during rainy season. Committee members said that they will join hands with affected farmers in other districts and fight against the project till GAIL comes out with a solution that will not affect farmers.