Tamil Nadu flouting rules on dam water drawal says Kerala

PALAKKAD: Tamil Nadu has again begun taking water from the Parambikulam dam through the contour canal to the Thirumoorthy dam in violation of the inter state river water sharing agreement. This took place after protests before the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) office in Pollachi by the farmers of Tamil Nadu.

The Joint Water Regulatory Development Board meet held in Palakkad on December 22 between the representatives of Kerala and Tamil Nadu failed to reach an agreement on the release of water for the month of January 2018. Therefore, under the agreement it was for the governments of both states to hold talks and arrive at a solution.

Instead, reports indicated following the agitation by the farmers, TN unilaterally decided to release water from the Parambikulam dam through the contour canal to Thirumoorthy dam. As per the terms of agreement arrived between the states in 1970, “The Board shall be responsible for proper regulation of water collected and distributed through Aanamalayar, Nirar weir, lower Nirar reservoir, TN Sholayar and Kerala Sholayar, Parambikulam, Thunakadavu, Peruvaripallam and Aliyar reservoirs.”

“Currently, Tamil Nadu has agreed to release water only till January 15 from the Aliyar dam. If it is not released till March 2018, the second crop will dry up,” Muthalamthode Mani, general secretary of the Desiya Karshaka Samajam, told Express. He pointed out there was a ‘shutter’ through which water is released from the Parambikulam dam to Thunakadavu and there is also another ‘shutter’ leading from Thunakadavu dam to Sarakarapathy which are both located in Muthalamada panchayat.

If TN unilaterally released water from Parambikulam dam, the officials of the Kerala Irrigation Department should have closed the two ‘shutters which was not done. As per the agreement, Tamil Nadu has to release 7.25 tmc annually to Kerala. It had to release 320 cusecs from December 1 to 15 and another 440 cusecs in the second fortnight of December.