Kerala released 517 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from the Mullaperiyar reservoir on Friday, prompting protest from farmers in the southern districts and the Opposition AIADMK.
The water was released around 7.30 a.m. in the presence of Kerala Irrigation Minister Roshi Augustine and Revenue Minister Rajan.
Dam site inspected
The Kerala Ministers and officials inspected the dam site in the presence of Tamil Nadu PWD executive engineer J. Sam Irwin and others.
Farmers of five southern districts were not in favour of water release and had urged the Tamil Nadu Government to store the water up to 142 feet.
PWD engineers said that after the widespread rain overnight in Kerala, the inflow stood at 6,635 cusecs and the discharge at 2,300 cusecs. The level was 138.05 feet.
AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to hold talks with farmers of the Mullaperiyar dam ‘ayacut’ and take steps to defend the State’s rights. In a statement, he wanted the State to defeat Kerala’s “false campaign” through solid arguments placed by the best lawyers at the next hearing before the Supreme Court on November 11.
At the same time, it had been the expectation of farmers that cordial relations with Kerala should be maintained, he pointed out.
Theni, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Madurai districts receive water for irrigation and drinking purposes from the Mullaperiyar and Vaigai dams.
In 2014, the Supreme Court directed that the water be stored up to 142 feet. A three-member Supervisory Committee was formed to monitor the inflow and other aspects. The team has conducted periodic inspections since then.
Speaking to reporters at Cumbum, farmers’ association leader K.M. Abbas alleged that the decision to release 514 cusecs into the Idukki dam through Vandi Periyar and Vallakadavu was “unilateral”. The Tamil Nadu Government had the right to release water from the reservoir, but the discharge was done by Kerala. This raised doubts among the farmers.
By releasing the water at this stage, Kerala could insist on keeping the level at 136 feet, he said.
The AIADMK MLAs from the southern districts have objected to the Tamil Nadu Government’s “stoic silence”. Briefing reporters in Theni on behalf of these MLAs, former Minister R.B. Udayakumar said the AIADMK government, led by Jayalalithaa, took the storage issue to the Supreme Court and obtained a historic judgment that brought much hope among the farmers.
However, some “vested interests” in Kerala now spread false information about the dam’s safety on the social media. The Kerala Government and its Chief Minister should take stringent action against such people, he said. Mr. Stalin should immediately ensure that the Supreme Court’s order was executed in the larger interest of the farmers.
