Kerala has expressed concern over a Tamil Nadu move to draw water from the Aliyar river through a new link canal for water supply schemes.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has informed his Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin that Tamil Nadu would be violating the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement if it goes ahead with this proposal.
In a letter to Mr. Stalin, Mr. Vijayan sought his urgent intervention to drop a proposal to supply water to places including Oddanchatram, Keeranur and Nelikkarapatty by constructing a new link canal and drawing water from the Aliyar.
Tamil Nadu, reportedly, had issued orders in May this year sanctioning ₹930 crore for the water supply schemes. The proposal ‘‘is in violation of the PAP agreement’‘, says Mr. Vijayan.
The PAP agreement entitles Kerala to 7.25 TMC water for the Chittoor river from the Manacadavu weir. This supply is also needed for ensuring the environmental flow of the Bharatapuzha. The Tamil Nadu proposal will result in diversion of water from the Aliyar and have adverse consequences for the Bharatapuzha basin, which is already a deficit basin, according to the Chief Minister.
