COIMBATORE: Officials of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) board, Siruvani division, have sent a proposal to the state government seeking permission and Rs 10 crore to restore the road to Siruvani dam.
Siruvani dam, which is one of the sources of drinking water for Coimbatore, is located inside a reserve forest in Palakkad, and Tamil Nadu pays for its maintenance. Officials from TWAD and other departments use the 8.8 km Kovai Kutralam road passing through the Siruvani hills to reach the dam to conduct inspection and other works.
Several stretches of the road, which are in the control of Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments, got damaged in landslides and heavy rain during 2018. Five years on, the road has neither been repaired or restored due to various issues. Now, TWAD Board officials have sent a proposal to the government to repair the road on the Tamil Nadu side.
Speaking to TNIE, a TWAD board official from the Siruvani division said, “We proposed to restore 8.8 km on our side. Kerala will repair the roads on its side and submit us the bill for which the Tamil Nadu government will pay the amount. A meeting in view of this is likely to be held on Monday or Tuesday.”
As of Sunday, the water level in the Siruvani dam stood at 11.87 feet against its capacity of 50 feet. Around 65 MLD of water is being drawn for drinking water needs of Coimbatore.