With Tamil Nadu ignoring Kerala’s demand to immediately release 400 cusecs of water, that is due to the State, through the Manakkadavu weir in accordance with the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement, paddy in over 30,000 acres in Chittur is likely to wither in the coming weeks.
According to a report submitted by the Irrigation Department to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the expected crop loss will be to the tune of ₹50 crore. Despite high-level interventions, Tamil Nadu has released only 253 cusecs of water from PAP to the Chittur region since January. The report suggests quick Chief Minister-level intervention to solve the issue.
The report says paddy fields in Chittur require water within one week. Because of the failure to release water, the Chittur river that irrigates the rice fields now remains dry. The 30,000 acres of paddy fields are spread in 13 grama panchayats and Chittur-Thathamangalam municipality.
Meanwhile, the farming community has come out against, what they say, the lack of official efforts to get the PAP water. A meeting of people’s representatives held in Chittur on Tuesday decided to launch agitations, including road blockade, from Thursday. “We are awaiting an immediate intervention on the part of the State government. Otherwise, we will block movement of trucks from Tamil Nadu that carry milk, vegetables, and chicken to the State,’’ said Chittur MLA K. Krishnankutty.
Hike in farming area
According to former MLA K. Chandran, Tamil Nadu had used PAP water for irrigating only 6,400 hectraes when the inter-State water-sharing agreement was signed in 1970. Now, they cultivated 4,60,000 hectares using PAP water, he alleged.
Though Irrigation Minister Mathew T. Thomas strongly raised the issue at the just concluded meeting of Water Resources Ministers of southern States in Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu said it would not be able to release the water due to scanty rainfall in the Parambikulam Aliyar region this year. “We are not demanding the entire water stored in PAP dams. Our farmers demand only their legitimate share. Tamil Nadu can release the water from storage dams at Parambikulam, Upper Aliayr, and Kadambara,” said Mr. Krishnan Kutty.
“If Tamil Nadu continues to refuse our due share, why the State is not putting curbs on the allocation from Siruvani dam to meet drinking water requirements of Coimbatore city. If we are moving in that direction, Tamil Nadu will fall in line,” said farmers’ leader Muthalamthode Mani.
