The Thenmala dam will soon get a tourism-oriented makeover with the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) setting aside ₹10 crore for the project.
“A Malampuzha-model park and other provisions for recreation will be set up on the 100 hectares of land beside the dam,” said Water Resources Minister K. Krishnankutty after visiting the dam along with other members of a legislative committee on Thursday. The Minister said scientific methods would be deployed to use water from the dam for irrigation and drinking water projects. “By coordinating various departments, efficient water management will be ensured,” he said.
The Irrigation, Agriculture, Forest and Tourism Departments would soon convene a meeting for chalking out a detailed blueprint for providing more water for farmers and irrigation projects without water wastage.
The focus would be on the agriculture sector and how to utilise the irrigation projects to the maximum.
Farmers would be encouraged to employ the drip method of irrigation, which was usually employed in places such as Tamil Nadu that faced water scarcity.
Drip irrigation
In the method, water is fed directly to the root of a crop instead of the area around, thereby minimising water loss. Possibilities to plug water loss while supplying water from the dam to drinking water projects would be explored. Pipelines would be installed in some parts of the canal and solar panels would be installed in places exposed to sun.
The Ottakal view point would be renovated and spruced up at a cost of ₹3 crore in association with the Tourism Department and strict action would be taken against those dumping waste in the canal. The Minister said that a ₹30-crore seismograph would come up in the Thenmala dam.
MLAs P.T.A. Rahim and K.J. Maxi, District Collector B. Abdul Nasar, Punalur Revenue Divisional Officer B. Radhakrishnan and KIP chief engineer T.G. Sen were part of the visit.
