Vellore MP Abdul Rahman, in the last session of Parliament, has stressed the importance of formation of a ‘powerful authority’ to protect Palar river.
He said Centre has to take the lead to form the authority to give Palar river a new lease of life. Palar, the lifeline of north Tamil Nadu and the basin originated from Karnataka and flowed through Karnataka before passing through Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and drained into the Bay of Bengal. Due to failure of normal rainfall, depletion of ground water and various hurdles in the course of the river, the region was becoming a desert, the MP said.
The reservoirs of Bethamangalam and Ramsagar in Karnataka along with the 32 checkdams constructed across Palar in the upstream by the Andhra Pradesh government without the concurrence of the TN government had prevented even the minimum water flow in the river, he added.
Rahman said while the government of Karnataka was planning to bring 10 TMC of water from Netravati river to Kolar district, the same proposal could be upgraded to accommodate Palar river by enhancing the volume of the water from Netravati to 100 TMC and linking Palar river by forming a canal from Kolar.