The Hindu : Jacob defends revision of water pact

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Jacob defends revision of water pact

By Roy Mathew

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 20. The talks scheduled between the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala over revision of the Parambikulam-Aliyar Inter-State river water agreement will be delayed because of the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The two sides decided upon talks at the Chief Ministers' level in March following a broad agreement on the revision at Ministerial level talks held here early in January. However, the rider was the Lok Sabha elections.

Besides, differences have now cropped up between Kerala's Power and Water Resources departments and the Ministers concerned over plans to provide water from Anamalayar and Neerar to Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to today on the situation, the Water Resources Minister, T.M. Jacob, said the agreement could not be concluded without concessions from both sides. Kerala has sought reapportioning of the water from the Parambikulam sub-basin to make more water available to Chittur taluk in Palakkad district and the Chalakkudi basin. Tamil Nadu sought 2.5 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet of water from the Anamalayar on completion of the Idamalayar irrigation project. This was something provided in the original agreement. If Kerala did not concede it, the broad agreement might be in jeopardy. Kerala was already getting up to 1.4 tmc from the Neerar between October and January, and Tamil Nadu might not concede more.

Mr. Jacob said the Principal Secretary (Power) and the KSEB Chairman had attended the talks held early this month.

Referring to reports that Mr. Sivadasan was not happy about his non-inclusion in the negotiating team, Mr. Jacob said that he would have been glad to have Mr. Sivadasan also in the team. "Kerala would be the losers if the agreement is not revised," he added.

He said it would not be possible to link the sharing of waters of the Anamalayar and the Neerar with that of Mullaperiyar (another tributary of the Periyar). The Mullaperiyar agreement, under which Kerala made a concession, was separate. The supplementary agreement on Mullaperiyar was signed in 1970 immediately after signing the Parambikulam-Aliyar agreement. If the two were to be linked, it should have been done then.

He said the reapportioning of water from the Parambikulam basin involved reassessment of the availability of the water. Meanwhile, Mr. Jacob, today called his Tamil Nadu counterpart, Panneerselvam, over phone seeking release of more water from the Parambikulam-Aliyar system to Palakkad district.

KSEB opposes diversion

of water: Page 5

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