Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Overflow at Siruvani Dam again

Special Correspondent

For municipalities bordering the city, it is reassuring

GUSHING OUT: Surplus water overflows from Siruvani Dam near Coimbatore. - File photo: K. Ananthan

COIMBATORE: The resumption of heavy rain in Kerala has led to an overflow at the Siruvani Dam again. This assures the Coimbatore Corporation of a comfortable drinking water situation till the end of next summer.

Corporation sources say the overflow for close to three months stopped around September 1. But with heavy rain returning to the catchment in the neighbouring Palakkad district of Kerala, a heavy inflow helped in crossing the full reservoir level (FRL) of 67.44 ft again on September 14.

With the local body elections slated for October 13 and 15, the Corporation, three municipalities and a clutch of town panchayats and village panchayats will feel relieved with the situation at the dam.

Barring unforeseen problems in distribution, water may not surface as a major issue during the local body elections. For the municipalities bordering the city, the overflow is very reassuring. This will not only ensure their regular, yet meagre, supply but also the additional quantum the Corporation has decided to provide them with to overcome shortage.

The Corporation Council had approved the civic body's move to provide one million litres a day (mld) to Kurichi and Kavundampalayam municipalities until they implemented alternative drinking water schemes.

The Corporation sources say the drawal from the dam now is 78 mld to 80 mld. The Siruvani scheme was designed to supply 87 mld to the city and another 14 to the other local bodies. Demand for more water and scarcity combined to deny the city the assured quantity. As for the suburbs, their population grew way above the allocation made to them.

Water managers say that if the North East Monsoon also contributes heavily, Siruvani will cease to be the source of frustration it was for four summers since 2000 owing to the failure of the South West Monsoon.

The overflow itself frustrates the Corporation as precious water is wasted. Besides more overhead tanks to store Siruvani water, the civic body has been trying hard to get the height of the dam increased by three feet so that much of the water that overflows can be stored. One day's supply of nearly 75 mld may be wasted through the overflow, the sources say. The height can be raised only if Kerala agrees to it and talks are for a solution to this in addition to other water and dam issues.

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