PALAKKAD: The move by Tamil Nadu to draw water from Aliyar dam to the town of Ottanchathiram and two adjacent town panchayats has led farmers in Kerala’s Palakkad district and the Opposition Congress to protest and blame the LDF government for compromising on the state’s interests.
The Tamil Nadu government had issued a notification on May 9 to take water from Aliyar dam to 506 rural habitations in Dindigul district and also 22 rural habitations in Tirupur district for drinking water purposes. These include Ottanchathiram municipality which is 120km away and Keeranur and Neikkarapatti town panchayats in Dindigul district. This notification was uploaded on the Tamil Nadu government website only now fearing protests from the farmers in Kerala, said Congress district vice-president Sumesh Achuthan who was the UDF candidate from Chittur constituency in the last assembly elections.
He said the drinking water scheme for 528 rural habitations are being undertaken by Tamil Nadu at a total cost of Rs 930 crore by sourcing funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission and Amrut schemes.
“It is being touted as a drinking water scheme because in the Cauvery dispute with Karnataka, the Supreme Court had allowed concessions to Tamil Nadu for drinking water purposes.
This is just a ploy and, in future, the water drawn from Aliyar dam could be diverted for irrigation purposes,” Achuthan said.“This is a clear violation of the interstate Parambikulam-Aliyar river water sharing agreement under which Kerala is to get 7.25 tmc of water annually. Tamil Nadu has always released less than this to Kerala and also diverted water illegally from Aliyar dam to Thirumoorthy dam through the contour canal.
Moreover, Ottanchathiram is under the purview of the Cauvery river water treaty. Karnataka has also agreed to give the required quantity of water to this municipality. Diverting water from one river basin to another is a clear violation of the interstate river sharing agreements and it will also affect the relations between the two states,” said Muthalamthode Mani, general convener of the Parambikulam-Aliyar water protection committee.He said diverting water from Aliyar dam will adversely affect Palakkad farmers who are dependent on the Chitturpuzha into which the water is being released from Aliyar dam.
ROSHY TO STUDY ISSUE, KRISHNANKUTTY ASKS CM TO INTERVENE
Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, when contacted, said the state should get the water due to it under the Parambikulam-Aliyar river water sharing agreement. He said he was studying the issue and would react to it on Tuesday. Krishnankutty who is now the electricity minister said he has written a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and also Roshy Augustine stating that Tirupur and Dindigul districts in Tamil Nadu should get the water as per the Cauvery tribunal award. Therefore, the utilisation of water from the Aliyar/Bharathapuzha basin for the combined water supply scheme is a violation of the Parambikulam-Aliyar water sharing agreement.
He said water from the Chitturpuzha irrigates 60,000 acres of paddy crop and is also the source for a number of drinking water projects on the Bharathapuzha. He said the diversion of water from Aliyar dam will be against the state’s interests. In the letter, Krishnankutty urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to intervene and take up the issue with his Tamil Nadu counterpart and ensure the state’s share of water under the agreement. Kerala should get 7.25 tmc of water annually and also the uncontrolled floodwater.