The Kerala government will take the initiative to hold fresh talks with Tamil Nadu to resolve the long-standing dispute between the two States on the Parambikulam-Aliyar water-sharing agreement, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Assembly on Wednesday.
Responding to a calling attention motion moved by K. Krishnankutty, he said the government would think of a permanent mechanism to protect Kerala’s interests in water-sharing agreements with other States. Despite several rounds of discussions between Ministers and officials of the two States, Tamil Nadu had repeatedly refused to release water to the Chittur river under the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP). .
Earlier, highlighting the plight of the farmers and residents in the water-stressed Chittur taluk, Mr. Krishnankutty stressed the need for Kerala to seek legal options while trying to find a negotiated settlement with Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Vijayan said Tamil Nadu had also posed hurdles to the Attappady Valley Irrigation Project that was crucial to the utilisation of Kerala’s share of 30 tmc awarded by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. Kerala had been forced to move the Supreme Court after Tamil Nadu failed to provide its opinion as mandated by the Expert Appraisal Committee for the project.
Efforts were on to complete the topographic survey for the project and identify the site for three water regulators, he added.
The Chief Minister said efforts were on to install a digital mechanism to measure the outflow from the Siruvani reservoir in Kerala to provide drinking water to Coimbatore town and adjoining areas under the terms of the inter state agreement on Siruvani water sharing.
Drug mafia
Replying to another calling attention motion moved by Hybi Eden, Mr. Vijayan informed the House that the government would adopt a coordinated approach to rein in the drug mafia and check its influence on the youth.
Kerala will take the initiative to hold fresh talks, CM Pinarayi Vijayan tells Assembly
