TIRUPPUR: A section of farmers has urged the government to release water from PAP dams to the Vattamalai dam, located in Vellakovil, to tackle drought-like condition. They suggested that water should be released to the dam once water release to the second zone of PAP irrigation is completed.
The Vattamalai dam was constructed between 1974 and 1979 under the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) Irrigation Expansion Project in Uthamapalayam near Vellakovil. The dam is 24.75 feet high and caters to 6,000 acres of agricultural land in 30 villages.
P Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakovil branch canal water conservation movement, said, “The Vattamalai dam is a small structure with a water holding capacity of 268 mcft. Due to lack of rain, the dam currently has just one mcft of water. The only source of water for this dam is surplus water from the PAP dams. There are ways to bring surplus water from Amaravathi dam to this dam. However, the state government did not take action. Due to insufficient rainfall this year, people are facing difficulties in catering to their livestock.”
“Thanks to continuous rains this year, the Amaravathi dam and the PAP dams are full and surplus water was released into the sea. However, the Vattamalai dam remains without water. Currently, there is sufficient water in the PAP dams. Therefore, water should be provided to the Vattamalai dam considering the welfare of farmers and the public. Water should be released to the Vattamalai dam after the end of water release to the second zone of PAP irrigation,” he added.
S Manikandan, another farmer, said, “A case was filed in the Madras High Court in 2020 on behalf of farmers seeking water allocation for Vattamalai dam. The court ordered the state government to provide a permanent solution by 2023. Until then, the court ordered water to be provided for three days every six months. The officials are yet to implement the court order.”
“Vellakovil is a very dry area therefore, it is essential to supply water from the PAP dam to Vattamalai dam. This will help with irrigation and drinking water needs.”
TNIE tried to contact S Murugesan, chief engineer of the water resources department (Coimbatore region) over the phone for a comment, but he did not answer the calls.