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Thrissur: A meeting of the joint water regulation board (JWRB), comprising officials from Keralam and Tamil Nadu , will be held at Bhoothathankettu in Ernakulam on Nov 13, against the backdrop of Keralam’s demand for its rightful share of water from the Upper Sholayar and Parambikulam reservoirs. He said Tamil Nadu should be asked to stop diverting water from Tamil Nadu Sholayar to Parambikulam and ensure that all water flowing into the Tamil Nadu Sholayar dam, including water diverted from Nirar, is released into Kerala Sholayar. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi Stay updated with the latest Kochi news.
Senior officials from both states are expected to attend the meeting, according to official sources. Chalakudy MLA Saneesh Kumar Joseph said he hoped the meeting would take up Keralam’s demand for its rightful share of water from Upper Sholayar to ensure that the water level in Chalakudy river is maintained at a reasonable level. Ravi, a leader of the Chalakudy River Protection Council, said Keralam govt should insist that Tamil Nadu adhere to the agreement governing the Sholayar sub-basin. Keralam may propose a minister-level inter-state meeting if Tamil Nadu officials do not concede its demand for an increased share of water, according to official sources.
Keralam will be represented by irrigation department chief engineer R Priyesh, JWRB joint director Saji Samuel, executive engineer from Chittur, chief engineer of KSEB and officials of the dam safety authority. From Tamil Nadu, senior officials of the Tamil Nadu generation and distribution corporation limited (TANGEDCO) and the water resources department in Coimbatore are also expected to participate. Keralam officials are planning to press for the release of more water from the Parambikulam reservoir at Manakkadavu and from the Upper Sholayar reservoir, controlled by Tamil Nadu, into Chalakudy river Although the agenda has not been finalised. He also called for a revision of the methods used to calculate the quantity of water required for power generation at Lower Sholayar. Ravi also demanded suitable compensation for the water already diverted to Parambikulam. Download the TOI App.