Kerala to renew agreements with TN on sharing river waters

Palakkad, July 13 (UNI) Kerala Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran today said that speedy steps would be taken for the renewal of agreements with Tamil Nadu on sharing of river waters.

Talking to mediapersons after visiting the Manakkadavu weir and the Moolanthara dam, he said no review meeting had been held with Tamil Nadu on the Parambikkulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) during the last 17 years even though review meetings had to be held once in five years.

Mr Premachandran said Kerala was not getting its due share of water from the PAP despite an agreement with Tamil Nadu. As per the agreement, Kerala has to get 7.25 tmc of water from the project a year, but the availability of water was much below the quantity.

He said the Karappara-Kuriarkutty hydel project would be implemented by sharing its cost with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The Rs 770 crore project is to be jointly implemented by the KSEB and the Irrigation Department. The KSEB would have to provide Rs 550 crore as its share for the project, Mr Premachandran said.

UNI AR PMM1907