Stop Kerala from closing valve in Siruvani dam, TPDK urges TN govt

In a petition, TPDK general secretary Ramakrishnan alleged that the neighbouring State has begun to close a ground level valve meant for extracting water from the reservoir during summer months. Though located in Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government has been funding maintenance of the dam, a primary source of drinking water to Coimbatore.

“Taking advantage of the lock down, Kerala has been trying to close the valve in violation of the agreements between the two states. Already Kerala has closed another similar tunnel pipeline in 2014,” said Ramakrishnan.

The TPDK also urged the State government to intervene and take preventive steps to avoid any water crisis in Coimbatore in the coming months. On receiving their petition, DRO T Ramadurai promised to take the issue to the knowledge of seniors for further action.

When queried, a senior official of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) said that the works taken up by Kerala will not cause any disruption to water being supplied to Coimbatore.

“Water can be extracted up to the dead storage level of 863.4 meter from sea level and the dam now has storage of 865.81 meter (eight feet). It will be sufficient to meet water requirements till June 15, by when the monsoon would set in,” said the official.

However, the official said that Kerala forest department denied permission to TWAD Board officials to carry out regular inspection at the dam. “When our team went to check recently regarding the work carried out by Kerala without giving us prior information, we were stopped at the check post and denied entry to inspect the dam,” he said.

The TWAD Board is planning to write to senior officials of the State government seeking to take up the issue with the Kerala government regarding denial of permission to visit the dam and on the works being carried out in the reservoir.