Farmers urge Coimbatore Collector to reconsider 430-kV transmission line route through farmlands

The Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association (Tamilaga Vivasayigal Paadhukaappu Sangam) have petitioned the Coimbatore District Collector on Monday to reconsider the proposed 430-kV power transmission line from Kavuthampalayam in Tiruppur district to Idaiyarpalayam in Coimbatore district, urging the authorities to replace overhead transmission towers with an underground cable system.

In the petition, they said the proposed alignment would pass through fertile agricultural lands in Coimbatore district, affecting thousands of farming families. They contended that the transmission towers would reduce cultivable area, hinder the use of farm machinery, lower land value, restrict future development, and affect farmers’ livelihoods.

The petitioners also said the project could impact horticulture, dairy farming and other agriculture-based activities. They expressed concerns over safety during seismic events and claimed that electromagnetic fields from high-voltage lines could pose health and environmental risks.