Following protests over reduction of water allocation from Cauvery, TN government is now irked by another neighbouring state’s attempts to draw more water than its officially allocated amount.
Kerala government’s bid to draw excess water from the Siruvani damn is seen by Tamil Nadu as an arm-twisting tactic to get the state to give more water from the Aliyar reservoir near Pollachi in TN, according to the Hindu.
According to a TN government official, following Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) canal water dispute when Kerala demanded more water to be released, the state has decided to use other means to draw more water, a DC report stated.
This move will severely affect the drinking water availability in Coimbatore, which depends on Siruvani dam water for most of its needs, officials say.
According to the Parambikulam-Aliyar project agreement signed in 1973, TN government has to give 5 cusecs of water every day to Kerala throughout the year (from July 30 to June 1), a Hindu report stated.
However, from February 20, Kerala started drawing 50 cusecs of water per day, which is 9 times more than the officially allocated amount. And the State has also increased it to 90 cusecs as on Saturday, according to the report.
Further TN officials also alleged the Kerala government has been placing sand bags to prevent the water from reaching the Pilloor dam in TN.
The move by the Kerala government places a lot of stress on the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) as the current water levels of the Siruvani dam is at 40 cusecs against the full reservoir level of 49.5. This would get drained fast, causing severe drinking water crisis in Coimbatore and suburbs in April, the report stated.
The district collector and the Public Works Department along with the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD), in a bid to counter this, have sent a report to the Chief Minister who will likely take it up with his counterpart in Kerala, the report said.