Periyar, meaning ‘big river’, originating from Chokkanpettimala in the Western Ghats is down to a trickle. It may soon go dry hitting drinking water supply, raising questions on power generation and irrigation.
The Periyar is the main source of water supply in Idukki, Thrissur, and Ernakulam. This is for the first time in recent times that boat services on Thekkady Lake have stopped owing to the low water level, given the poor northeast monsoon. In addition to the Idukki dam, the Periyar hosts the largest number of reservoirs in the State in addition to check-dams.
“This is the first time in recent history that the water level in the Periyar is at such a low by mid-February. Usually, the level of flowing water will be at its lowest by April-May. If there is a delay in monsoon or failure of summer rain, the situation will go out of control,” says Chellappan, a farmer at Thonithadi, upstream of the Idukki reservoir.
He said people from remote areas had started collecting water from deep stretches of the river for household purposes. Many ponds and wells had dried up and the Periyar could have provided some solace had there been a normal southwest and northeast monsoons.
The water level in the Idukki reservoir, the storage of which is mainly reserved for power generation in the summer, is at 32.98% of its capacity.
The water level on Tuesday was 2,333.9 ft where as the level the same day last year was 2,352.74 ft, an official at the Dam Monitoring and Research Station, Vazhathoppe, told The Hindu, adding that power generation had been kept at a low of 4.26 mu. Even at a low level of generation, water level was one of the lowest in the past ten years.
The official said the evaporation level increased as day temperatures rose and the water level started to recede even at an early stage of the season leading to poor stock in the reservoir.
The worst affected areas on the Periyar course are between Thekkady and Ayyappancoil, where the river touches the Idukki reservoir.
The water crisis may put the agriculture-based economy of the high range in peril, which is already under stress due to low prices of cash crops.
