Latest news with #ParambikulamAliyarProject
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Initiative in place for fructification of Anamalayar and Nirar-Nallar multipurpose projects, says T.N. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin
Tamil Nadu will see through fructification of Anamalayar and Nirar-Nallar multipurpose projects for optimal utilisation of water from the west-flowing rivers of Anamalayar, Nirar, Sholayar, Parambikulam and its tributaries Peruvaripallam, Thunakadavu and the Palar and Aliyar, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin informed the farming community in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts on Monday. 'We are holding talks with Kerala Government for materialising the dream scheme of farmers in the Western districts,' the Chief Minister said while taking part in the government functions at Udumalpet in Tiruppur district and Pollachi in Coimbatore. At Pollachi, Mr. Stalin named the complex housing the Chief Engineer Office of Water Resources Department after C. Subramaniam, former Minister. The Chief Minister inaugurated on the occasion a two-storey building constructed at a cost of ₹4.29 crore. The ground and first floors were named after former MLAs V.K. Palanisamy Gounder and Pollachi N. Mahalingam. He also unveiled the statues of these leaders, and those of late Chief Minister Kamaraj and former Minister C. Subramaniam in the WRD complex, in honour of their efforts for conceptualisation and implementation of Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) scheme. Besides, Mr. Stalin commissioned a photo gallery on the PAP scheme, and inaugurated a memorial dedicated to workers who had lost their lives during the construction of Parambikulam-Aliyar Dam in Pollachi. It was established in Aliyar Dam park at a cost of ₹ 2.83 crore. At Udumalpet, the Chief Minister inaugurated 61 projects completed at a cost of ₹949.53 crore, and laid foundation stones for 35 projects entailing expenditure of ₹182.06 crore. Mr. Stalin also extended assistance to the extent of ₹295.29 crore to 19,785 beneficiaries, under various government schemes. The Chief Minister was accompanied by State Ministers S. Muthusamy M.P. Saminathan, R. Sakkarapani, N. Kayalvizhi, MPs and MLAs, and senior government officials.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
WRD awaits Central Water Commission nod for rehabilitation of PAP channels
The Water Resources Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, is awaiting approval from the Central Water Commission, New Delhi, for rehabilitation of Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) channels in the Parambikulam-Aliyar sub-basin in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts, to mitigate excess water loss, an official document states. A detailed project report envisaging ₹7.08 crore expenditure for rehabilitation of canal systems and to provide automated community irrigation in the two districts has been sent to the Central Water Commission, according to the WRD policy note for 2025-26. Encompassing seven reservoirs, four hydro power generation stations, six tunnels, a contour canal, and Aliyar Feeder Canal, for diverting west-flowing rivers into east side to irrigate the rain shadow lands in the two districts through main canals, branch canals and distributaries, the PAP has made possible irrigation in 17,960 hectares in the two zones (with one zone irrigated in a year) of Aliyar Sub-Basin and 1,52,631 hectares in Palar Sub-Basin that is divided into four zones (with two zones irrigated once a year) through 250 km length of main canals, 244 km length of branch canals, 640 km length of distributaries and 1,240 km length of distribution canals. The WRD has mentioned in the policy note that PAP is a water-deficit basin, and that due to the prolonged usage the canals that were built with cement plastering and pre-cast slabs had been damaged resulting in loss of huge quantity of water. 'It becomes a herculean task to supply water to the tail-end areas during ordinary as well as drought seasons,' it states. The rehabilitation work, the WRD hopes, would mitigate excess water loss. 'Water management in the irrigation basins can be improved through modernisation such as automated sluices, piped irrigation and micro-irrigation, control of wastage and water theft in canals, accurate maintenance of water supply calculations, distribution of water during crop season and judicious use of every drop of water,' the policy note states. There is also a provision for introduction of 'Solid Waste Dump Identification Module' system, shortly. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, dumps in water bodies are identified through continuous monitoring. The status of the solid waste is reported to the officials. It triggers workflow to removal of solid waste once they are identified. Farmers' organisations are, however, understood to have expressed their disappointment to the WRD over the 'meagre' apportioning for Coimbatore region out of the ₹120 crore allocation made in the 2025-26 Budget for special desilting works of irrigation canals on a priority basis. The purpose is to ensure reach of water till the tail-end areas without any hindrance, and for quick drainage during floods. Out of ₹120 crore allotted for this purpose, only ₹1.5 crore will be utilised for 29 special desiltation works in a cumulative length of 264.12 km. The programme envisages desilting of water bodies to the designed bed level, removal of shoals and thorny bushes in canals / channels, branch canals / drains / supply channels etc., till the tail end areas, on war-footing with the involvement of 'Uzhavar Kuzhu' (Farmers' Association).
The Hindu
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Water from Thirumoorthy Dam reaches culmination point of 124-km PAP Canal, farmers in tail-end demand equitable distribution
Water released on July 27, 2025, from Thirumoorthy Dam into the 124-km Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) Main Canal in Palar River Basin, for irrigation in the fourth zone areas, has reached the tail-end in Kangeyam. The water release will benefit 94,068 acres of agricultural land in the fourth zone. The water release, according to officials, will be maintained with intervals over a five-month period till December 9. Water to the extent of 10,250 mcft (inclusive of evaporation) will be released during the period. The Water Resources Department (WRD) started off by releasing 250 cusecs, and will be gradually increasing the flow to 912 cusecs, the officials said. On Friday, the level at Thirumoorthy Dam stood at 53.87 feet, out of maximum of 60 feet. The storage was 1,481 mcft against the maximum capacity of 1,744 mcft. The inflow into the dam was 932 cusecs and the discharge 1,080 cusecs. On the same day last year, the level stood at 28.18 feet, and the storage was 597 mcft. Meanwhile, the PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project) Vellakoil Branch Canal Water Conservation Association on Friday sought departmental action against officials in the WRD found flouting PAP Act. A petition submitted by P. Velusamy, president of the association, to the Revenue Divisional Officer of Tiruppur South who oversees the Monitoring Committee of PAP, Superintending Engineer of PWD (WRO), Parambikulam Aliyar Basin Circle, Pollachi, and other senior officials drew their attention to the continued neglect of the areas irrigated by the Vellakovil Branch Canal, vis-a-vis the Pongalur sub-division, based on water release calculations at the Andipalayam Measurement Point. Though the PAP Act specifies equitable distribution, the water drawal in Pongalur sub-division was much higher when compared to the extent flowing into Kangayam sub-division. Water withdrawals in the sub-canals of Pongalur division are categorised as overdrawals, supplied to non-zone and non-ayacut areas, the petition, a copy of which was also submitted to the Chief Minister's Office, said. Drought-like conditions continues to prevail in Kangayam-Vellakovil area despite abundant water storage in Tiruppur Dam, Mr. Velusamy pointed out. Inaction on the part of the government authorities to rectify the situation would leave the association with the only option of taking legal recourse, he said.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Farmers urge State Government to pursue Anamalayar and Nallar sub-projects of PAP system
Farmers in the region have urged the State Government to implement the Anamalayar and Nallar sub-projects of Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) system without any time loss, to optimise utilisation of substantial volume of water that otherwise gets drained into Arabian sea at times when the rainfall is heavy. The PAP agreement of 1958 entailed harnessing 50 tmc ft water from the west flowing rivers that would include Kerala's share of 19.55 tmc ft. The agreement provided for start of Anamalayar project, which would pave way for diversion of 2,500 mcft every year in the PAP system, after construction of Idamalayar Dam by Kerala. Though the construction of the Idamalayar dam was completed in 1985, Tamil Nadu Government has not still taken steps for pursuing the Anamalayar project, P. Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakovil Branch Canal (Kangayam-Vellakovil) Water Conservation Association, said. Due to this, as much as 8.5 tmc ft water get drained into the sea during the years of surplus rainfall, he said. Likewise, the Nallar Neerar project will pave way for substantial increase in irrigation area, and agricultural progress in Coimbatore-Tiruppur districts. It will also reduce the distance of water flow to the Thirumoorthy Dam, minimising loss via evaporation . In the short-term, the State Government could consider enlarging the extent of flow from Sarkarpathy Power House and Thirumoorthy from 850 to 1500 cusecs, through enhancing the capacity of the contour canal. The government could undertake the task on a war-footing. Likewise, the government could also explore the utility of pumping of water from the Neerar Catchment to Thirumoorthy Dam directly through pipelines, Mr. Velusamy said, referring to the effective working of the Athikadavu-Avinashi pipeline scheme. There will only be minimal environmental impact, he said.
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Association in Pongalur refutes charge of excess water utilisation
Water Users' Association in Pongalur area under Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) main canal project has refuted the charge of excess utilisation levelled by tail-end farmers in Vellakovil-Kangayam. There was no deficiency in water distribution in the branch canals along the stretch from 87th km to the the end of the 124-km main canal, according to M. Deivasigamani, president of the Water Users' Association in Pongalur area. In the third-zone wetting to irrigate 93734 acres, the acreage in irrigational area in Pongalur division encompasses 17,801 acres, while Palladam and Vellakovil-Kangayam branch canals irrigate 3,254 acres and 12,000 acres respectively. 'Factoring in distribution/evaporation losses, the Water Resources Department has been letting in 31 cusecs above the mandated extent of 100 cusecs at 4.5 Full Scale Deflection (FSD) into the Vellakovil branch canal for 15 days since January 2022,' Mr. Deivasigamani claimed. The contention of the tail-end farmers is that the dynamics of water flow at the 108th km in Andipalayam reading point and the extent of accrual at the starting point of Vellakovil branch canal is not in conformity with the claim. At times of less rainfall, the Water Resources Department ought to follow the pattern under practice in all other canals for ensuring reach to the ayacut in tail-end areas. The issue of lesser water realisation in tail-end areas consisting of additional ayacut that had been included in an originally-specified project area was perennial in canal-irrigation pattern, Mr. Deivasigamani explained. In the PAP main canal, there was hope, by and large, among farmers downstream that the issue of excess utilisation by farmers along the upper course will be addressed decisively when the impending modernisation works are carried out by the Water Resources Department, Mr. Deivasigamani said.
