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State seeks water from Aliyar dam for Palakkad

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The Hindu      18.03.2016  

State seeks water from Aliyar dam for Palakkad

TN urged to release 100 cusecs daily till the onset of monsoon 

People moving around in search for water at Ottappalamin Palakkad on Thursday. –Photo: K. K. Mustafah
People moving around in search for water at Ottappalamin Palakkad on Thursday. –Photo: K. K. Mustafah

Faced with extreme drinking water scarcity in most parts of Palakkad district, Kerala has urged Tamil Nadu to release at least 100 cusecs of water daily from the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) to meet the drinking water needs of people depending on the now dried-up Bharathapuzha and its feeders till the onset of the southwest monsoon.

As per the inter-State water-sharing agreement signed by the two States, Tamil Nadu need not release water from the PAP to Kerala from April 1 to May 15 every year. However, Kerala has requested water keeping in view of the extreme summer heat that dried up most of its drinking water sources in Palakkad. Once Tamil Nadu releases water from the Aliyar dam under the PAP, the water will reach the Bharathapuzha through its feeder Chittur river. People living even in far away Ottappalam and Shoranur will get their share of drinking water if the neighbouring State releases 100 cusecs of water daily.

According to highly placed sources, Tamil Nadu has agreed to release the required quantity daily if Kerala provides daily an additional of 40 cusecs water from the Siruvani dam to meet the drinking water needs of Coimbatore city. Officials of the Joint Water Regulatory Board will meet soon to discuss the proposal.

Meanwhile, the district administration has identified 158 locations in Palakkad as drought-prone. Thirteen areas have also been identified as extremely affected with lack of drinking water.


TN seeks additional 40 cusecs daily from Siruvani

Joint Water Regulatory Board to discuss the issue