Predominantly agrarian, the Thirumayam Assembly constituency in Pudukottai district is beset with civic and agriculture-related problems worrying the electorate.  Poor monsoon, dry waterbodies, depleting groundwater level and lack of proper water management and conservation measures have all hit hard farmers solely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.

Encompassing Thirumayam, Arimalam, and Ponnamaravathy unions, the constituency continues to remain industrially backward necessitating many educated youth to move out in search of employment.  Farmers rue that Thirumayam being a rain-fed region and blessed with several tanks, sufficient attention had not been accorded to water management and conservation measures over the years affecting the agriculturists.

“Several basic requirements of the people are yet to be fully met,” says M. Kulanthairaj — a resident of Thirumayam and district president of the “Neer Nilai Mattrum Sutru Soozhal Paadhukaapu Vivasaya Sangam”.  “There is an urgent need to carry out dredging of waterbodies and removal of ‘seemai karuvelam’ (prosopis juliflora) - an exotic and invasive species,” he says.

“Absence of adequate rainfall and depleting water table has prompted many farmers to shift from paddy cultivation to raising casuarina,” says G. Adaikappan, a farmer of Arimalam claiming that Thirumayam continued to remain a backward region. Farmers of the constituency are strongly in favour of expediting the Cauvery-Gundar interlinking project via Pudukottai district which they say would be immensely beneficial by steadily increasing the water table.

Several acres of land in Thirumayam constituency have been planted with eucalyptus trees by the Forest Department which has led to depletion of water table, complain farmers. Instead of eucalyptus, fruit-bearing trees could be grown which would prevent monkeys and deers from entering human habitations in search of food and water, they say.

Road infrastructure in many villages are not up to the expectations yet, says M. Veeramani — district vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam.  “Weaving industry, which once thrived, is crippled today because of lack of assistance and support. Many of those involved in this trade have taken up other sources of employment to eke over their living”, says M. Kumar, working president of the Pasumai Meetpu Kuzhu based in Arimalam.

Mr. Kumar says the primary health centre at Arimalam should be upgraded as Government Hospital with more facilities as this move would be beneficial to people of 18 to 20 villages in its surroundings. Transportation issues have been raised by the electorate. Arimalam is bereft of a bus stand with no bus connectivity to Coimbatore, Sivaganga, and Karaikudi, says Kumar. 

The existing bus stand in Thirumayam town needs a complete makeover with improved facilities including provision of potable drinking water facility.  Most buses take the bypass skipping the bus stand leaving the waiting commuters stranded, say residents. 

Garbage disposal does not take place daily in and around Thirumayam posing health hazards for the local people in view of its accumulation, says Mr. Kulanthairaj. Due attention should be paid to improve emergency facilities at Thirumayam Government Hospital with blood bank and ambulance. This was because of the periodic accidents taking place on the Tirumayam — Karaikudi highway stretch, he says.

Environmental issues have surfaced with allegations of illegal stone quarrying at Tirumayam. The murder of Jagabar Ali — a social activist who was knocked down by a lorry and killed near Thirumayam in January last year is a case in point which shook the entire State. The activist was killed after he repeatedly petitioned the official authorities against illegal stone quarrying. 

Barring the BHEL Power Plant Piping Unit at Thirumayam, which was commissioned in 2013, the constituency is bereft of any other industries. The public sector unit employs mostly those from other districts and other States hardly benefiting the locals, says Kulanthairaj. 

Being a religious town, Thirumayam situated along the Pudukottai-Rameswaram highway houses the historic Fort and the famed Sri Sathyamurthy Perumal and Sri Sathyagireeswarar rock cut temples. Thirumayam is one of the 108 Divya Desams attracting devotees. Steps should be taken to develop it, says Mr. Veeramani

Battle of veterans

The constituency is all set to witness another electoral battle with the DMK MLA and the Minister for Natural Resources S. Regupathy renominated. 

Mr. Regupathy won twice in a row from this seat in 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections defeating AIADMK’s P.K. Vairamuthu by a narrow margin on both occasions. Mr. Vairamuthu has been renominated for the fourth time in a row from the Thirumayam seat by the AIADMK. This has set the stage for a showdown between the two veterans this time too.