Over 300 Plum Mitan farmers are now legally extracting water from the Jhagroma and Canque Cushe rivers after permits were granted by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) for that purpose.
President of the Agriculture Society of T&T (ASTT), Dhano Sookoo, said the ASTT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with WASA on Monday and collected two water abstraction permits for farmers.
"This will service over 300 farmers in Plum Mitan cultivating mixed vegetables," she said.
Sookoo said shortly after they got the permits, Ministry of Food Production pumps, which were ready and waiting, were put into operation and began sending water into irrigation channels in farmers' fields.
She said the ASTT had submitted requests for water licences for seven other areas.
Sookoo said the granting of the permits would take some time since information had to be obtained on the number of farmers in a particular area needing water and the type of crops.
"We don't want to be pumping water for people and they are not planting anything."
She said the licences would allow farmers to abstract water for one year, after which they could apply for a renewal of the permit.
The permits come after WASA recently enforced the water abstraction rule which has been in effect since 1997.
This move was met with protests by farmers' groups who claimed they were losing acres of crops because of a lack of water.
They said the process to get licences was too lengthy.
Water rules
WASA said licences are required for the abstraction of raw water from any river, pond or well for farming or commercial purposes.
It said charges were minimal, amounting to ten cents for every 220 imperial gallons for registered farmers and a minimum charge of $120 if less.
The ASTT and the Food Production Ministry had been seeking to help farmers get their permits and be in compliance with regulations.