A look at the water level in a few reservoirs in Kerala and at Siruvani goes against the explanation that the Kerala Government had given to Tamil Nadu – that it has lowered water level in all its reservoirs post the 2018 floods.
As of October 24, Vazhani and Peechi reservoirs in Thrissur and Walayar, Malampuzha and Mangalam reservoirs in Palakkad are in red alert. In Vazhani, for instance, the Kerala Irrigation Department, as per data available in public domain, has water level at 62.13 m as against the full reservoir level of 62.48.
In the nearby Malampuzha reservoir, the Department has let the water level touch 114.5m. The full reservoir level is 115.06m.
In addition to the five ‘red alert’ reservoirs, Kerala has put two reservoirs in orange alert category and one in blue alert category.
But in Siruvani, it has maintained water level at 90% of the storage level, which is 1.67m below the full reservoir level. The Kerala Government reducing water level in Siruvani comes even as the Tamil Nadu Government has been taking efforts to have the water level increased to the full reservoir level. The Tamil Nadu Government through the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board has been saying that the Siruvani Reservoir is a drinking water lifeline for Coimbatore city and that the reduction of 1.67m or thereabout equals around a month’s supply to the city. But the Kerala Government has not yet ceded space, say the Board sources, adding that the organisation is hopeful that Kerala will see merit in its argument.
