Five months after violent clashes in the western French town of Sainte-Soline, some 700 demonstrators on bikes and dozens of tractors set off for the capital to denounce the government-financed reservoirs, reports RFI.
The Sainte-Soline reservoir is the second of 16 planned in the Marais Poitevin nature reserve.
With a total capacity of around six million cubic meters, the reservoirs are being built as part of a project by a cooperative of 450 farmers which is supported by the state.
The aim is to store water drawn from surface water tables in winter, in order to irrigate crops in summer when rainfall is scarce.
While supporters say it is essential for the survival of farms in the face of the threat of recurring droughts, its opponents want a moratorium on construction to make way for an alternative project that would bring into force better farming techniques and better management of water resources.