COIMBATORE: Despite the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board and the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) flagging serious leakages in the dam over a year ago, no repairs have been done yet.
With the upcoming summer to increase drinking water demand, civic officials attribute the delay to the Pune-based Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), which is yet to submit a DPR outlining the methodology, technology, and cost estimates for carrying out underwater repair works at the reservoir.
In September 2024, the CCMC paid around Rs 17.5 lakh to CWPRS to inspect the Siruvani Dam located in Kerala and prepare a comprehensive DPR to address structural issues. Following this, a team of experts from Pune inspected the dam on January 8, 2025, along with officials from both the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments. However, after over a year, the report has not been submitted by the team yet.
The delay has come at a cost. Sources say that due to damaged shutters and seepage, nearly 10 million litres of water (MLD) is being wasted every day. Officials point out that the lost volume could supply drinking water to several residential areas in the city for at least three days. Once the leakages are rectified, an estimated 50 to 55 MLD of water could be saved during peak summer, a critical relief for city residents.
The situation is aggravated by poor monsoon rainfall. Currently, the water level at Siruvani Dam stands at around 29 ft, far below its total capacity of 49 ft. Adding to this, Kerala government officials have restricted the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) to 44.61 ft, citing dam safety. As a result, only about 66.97 MLD of water is being drawn from the dam, against the agreed supply of 101.4 MLD for drinking purposes. Officials are anticipating summer rains and are also planning to use Pillur scheme 3 water if the Siruvani water level depletes further.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said repeated reminders had been sent to the CWPRS. "As the expert committee is yet to submit the DPR for repairs, we are unable to proceed further. We have urged them to submit the report as soon as possible. We are also planning to take up the issue with the secretary to speed up the process," he said.
A senior official from the TWAD Board's Siruvani division said that technical challenges are contributing to the delay. "With 29 ft of water currently stored in the dam, fixing leakages at the bottom of the reservoir is extremely challenging. The CWPRS is analysing multiple methods such as grouting, geo-membranes and other technologies," he said. Once the DPR is submitted, it will be forwarded to the Tamil Nadu government for approval and funding, after which, the Kerala government will execute repairs, he added.