Citing a 124-year-old agreement between the erstwhile States of Madras and Mysore on the sharing of Palar water, the Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court seeking a permanent injunction against the newly bifurcated Andhra Pradesh from building new check dams and diversion structures meant to draw precious drinking water away from the parched areas of Tamil Nadu.
The river, which originates in the Nandh Durg Hills of Kolar district in Karnataka, flows through Vellore and Kancheepuram districts of Tamil Nadu before falling into the Bay of Bengal. Before reaching Tamil Nadu, the river flows for 33 km in Andhra Pradesh.
Though the three riparian States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh (before bifurcation) and Tamil Nadu were in compliance of the 1892 water-sharing pact, things started turning sour for Tamil Nadu when Andhra Pradesh started increasing the height of the check dams.
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Presenting its case before the Supreme Court in the Palar river issue, Tamil Nadu has sought both permanent and mandatory injunction against increase in the height of the check dams. It said new check dams should only be constructed after taking the prior consent of Tamil Nadu.
The State wants the court to intervene against any steps taken by Andhra for additional water storage. It further wants the court to direct the Union Ministry of Water Resources to intervene with Andhra Pradesh. The suit argued that the Centre is duty-bound to ensure that none of the riparian States steal a march over the other.