The Hindu      18.03.2016  

State seeks water from Aliyar dam for Palakkad

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

The Hindu        18.03.2016  

MUDA infuses new hope into water project

The Mysore Urban Development Authority will acquire land for the drinking water project at Hale Undawadi, about 2 km from KRS. The project is expected to add 300 MLD of water to Mysuru and nearby villages.— File photo: M.A. Sriram

Mysuru city’s drinking water availability is expected to increase and more residential localities may get Cauvery water as the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) will acquire land for a proposed drinking water project at Hale Undawadi, about 2 km from KRS reservoir.

The launch of the project had been delayed over the land issue.

The Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) had prepared the Rs. 320-crore drinking water project, which is expected to add 300 million litres per day (MLD) of water to the city and nearby villages. The project was proposed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

MUDA Commissioner M. Mahesh told The Hindu that the crucial board meeting on Tuesday had decided to acquire 100 acres of land for the project. The land had been earmarked in the Mysore-Nanjangud Local Area Development Plan (comprehensive development plan) by the MUDA. However, it was acquired for industrial development by KIDADB.

Arguing that drinking water should get top priority, the MUDA board meeting resolved to urge the KIDADB to give the land to MUDA, which will pay its cost, he said.

Mr. Mahesh said MUDA had developed new layouts and proposed many layouts to meet the demand for site aspirants. Even many MUDA-approved layouts had been formed on the outskirts, increasing the demand for potable water. Therefore, the MUDA took the step of acquiring the land to get the project cleared.

The pipeline from Hale Undawadi to the city will also provide water to about 92 villages en route. The project had been proposed at a site where water would be available round the year. Construction of a jackwell at Hale Undawadi and a water treatment plant at Beechanakuppe, about 4 km away from KRS backwaters, had been proposed under the project.