Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Monday remained non-committal on the release of excess water from the Mullaperiyar dam.
“Kerala has faced a huge flood. We have got a Supreme Court order to reduce the level by one foot to 141 feet,” he said, responding to the lowering of the water level in the reservoir since Saturday.
He was talking to reporters at the Vaigai dam after opening the shutters to release water for irrigating 1.05 lakh acres in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga districts.
However, when he was informed that the water level had gone below 141 feet and stood at 140 feet on Monday, he said, “It is only natural that the water level goes up and down according to the inflow.”
Both Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam had made strong statements that Tamil Nadu would not lower the water level below 142 feet — the level permitted by the Supreme Court following a three-decade-long legal battle.
Mr. Panneerselvam said, “We have stored enough water and farmers will get adequate water (for irrigation).”
The Mullaperiyar dam was getting an inflow of 3,890 cusecs and 2,206 cusecs was being drawn towards the Tamil Nadu side through a tunnel and the rest was being drained through surplus vents.
