COIMBATORE: Citing dam safety. Kerala has reduced the water level in the Siruvani dam. This dashed hopes of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) officials who were expecting the neighbouring State to maintain water at Full Reservoir Level (FRL) at least this year.
Siruvani is the primary sources of drinking water for Coimbatore. Since the onset of South West monsoon in June, the reservoir received heavy inflows. For over seven years, Kerala has not allowed water to reach the full reservoir level of 50-feet and maintained the level at 45-feet.
This year, Kerala cited dam safety and started discharging water as soon as it inched closer to 45 feet. Lowering the water level by 5 feet results in a shortage of 122.05 MCFT, which is 19% of the total storage. This creates difficulties in catering to the needs of Coimbatore city in summer. The current water level is less than 40 feet.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior TWAD board (Siruvani Division) official said, “Water level in the reservoir touched 46-ft mark a few days ago, thanks to the heavy rain in the water catchment areas of the dam. But Kerala irrigation department officials discharged water and brought down the level to 38.78 ft. Despite urging them to allow the reservoir to reach its full storage capacity, the officials never paid heed to our demands.”
Sources said after floods ravaged Kerala a few years ago, the government has reduced water levels in all of its dams. CCMC Commissioner M Prathap told TNIE, “We have informed the Chief Minister about the issue. This has been a consistent one for quite sometime now. Currently, talks are being held between the WRO ministries of both States. A government level meeting is likely to be organised to find a solution.”