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Saturday, May 12, 2007
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Kerala

Inter-State panel to study PAP disputes

Staff Reporter

Sub-committee to submit report before March 31 next

A view of the Parambikulam dam.

PALAKKAD: A meeting of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu Joint Water Regulatory Board of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project here on Friday decided to form a sub-committee to study the disputes in sharing of water between the two States.

Board Chairman K. Divakaran, Chief Engineer, Kerala Water Resources Department, told presspersons that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. The sub-committee, comprising three officials from each State, would submit its report before March 31, 2008.

He said the sub-committee would study installation of digital water-level recorders at main gauging points; loss of water to Kerala owing to interruption of natural flow by contour canals constructed by Tamil Nadu; and unauthorised pumping of water between the Manacadavu weir and the Aliyar by Tamil Nadu farmers.

Mr. Divakaran said Kerala would receive its share of water for the Chitturpuzha irrigation scheme in this water year ending June 30. Tamil Nadu had agreed to release 600 mcft (million cubic feet) of water in the second half of May; 200 mcft in the first half of June; and 300 mcft in the remaining 15 days of the water year.

Already, the State had got 6.8 tmcft (10 million cubic feet) of water as against its annual entitlement of 7.25 tmcft at the Manacadavu weir for the Chitturpuzha scheme. With more water to be released in May and June, the share would go up to 7.9 tmcft.

This would cover the additional share of 0.695 mcft of water Kerala should get in this water year.

He said the backlog of 5.592 tmcft was not demanded at the meeting since Kerala would receive its share this year. The demand would be made in the next water year.

Asked about the stand of Tamil Nadu that the project agreement had no provision to give the backlog, Mr. Divakaran said representatives of that State did not say that the pending water would not be given.

Since it was not required this year, only the next Board meeting would take up the issue.

Mr. Divakaran said the Kerala side had raised the failure of Tamil Nadu to ensure full reservoir level in the Kerala Sholyar reservoir on February 1.

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