PALAKKAD: Summer is still some months away. But a few harsh portends are already here, warning us of the dry days ahead.
For the first time in recent history, the water from the Siruvani dam has stopped flowing to Coimbatore. The water level is below the dead storage level.
The water from the Malampuzha dam will not be released for irrigation purposes after January 13, said executive engineer Sivadas.
Now, it might be a tale of two cities in distress. But soon it might percolate into a wider landscape.
Palakkad crisis
Palakkad municipality and six adjoining panchayats depend on Malampuzha dam for potable water. Water distribution from the dam will be stopped after three days. Once the water is not released through canals, water level in the wells in these regions will recede, causing acute potable water shortage. The words of Majeed, executive engineer of the Siruvani reservoir, too indicated a bleak summer.
He said the water-drying phenomenon is noticed in April and May. “But this time, the water level is below the dead storage level in January itself,” he said. Majeed said the full reservoir level was 878.5 m and the dead storage level was 863.4 m. “Today, the water level was 859.5 m, resulting in the intake valve getting exposed to air. Last year, the water level on the same day was 873.42 m,” he said. Under the inter-state river water sharing agreement, 1973, Kerala needs to release 1.3000 million cubic feet (1.3 tmc) of water to TN.