Kerala and Tamil Nadu officials will meet at Bhoothathankettu in Ernakulam on November 13 to discuss Kerala’s demand for a larger water share from the Upper Sholayar and Parambikulam reservoirs, amid concerns over maintaining water levels in the Chalakudy river.
The meeting of the Joint Water Regulation Board (JWRB) will bring together senior officials from both states. Kerala’s delegation is expected to include Irrigation Department chief engineer R Priyesh, JWRB joint director Saji Samuel, the executive engineer from Chittur, the chief engineer of the Kerala State Electricity Board and officials from the dam safety authority.
Tamil Nadu is expected to be represented by senior officials from the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited and the Water Resources Department in Coimbatore. The formal agenda has not yet been finalised, according to the report.
Kerala officials are planning to seek the release of more water from the Parambikulam reservoir at Manakkadavu and the Upper Sholayar reservoir, which is controlled by Tamil Nadu, into the Chalakudy river. The demand places reservoir regulation, power generation requirements and downstream water availability at the centre of the inter-state discussion.
Chalakudy MLA Saneesh Kumar Joseph said he hoped the meeting would consider Kerala’s demand for its rightful share of water from Upper Sholayar so that the water level in the Chalakudy river could be maintained at a reasonable level. He also called for a review of the methods used to calculate the quantity of water required for power generation at Lower Sholayar.
The dispute also involves the movement of water within the Sholayar sub-basin. Ravi, a leader of the Chalakudy River Protection Council, said the Kerala government should insist that Tamil Nadu follow the agreement governing the sub-basin. He alleged that water was being diverted from Tamil Nadu Sholayar to Parambikulam and demanded that water flowing into the Tamil Nadu Sholayar dam, including water diverted from Nirar, be released into Kerala Sholayar.
Ravi also sought compensation for water already diverted to Parambikulam. His demands represent the position of the river protection group and were not presented in the report as an agreed decision by either state.
The meeting’s outcome could determine whether the issue remains within the officials’ forum or moves to a higher political level. According to official sources, Kerala may propose a minister-level inter-state meeting if Tamil Nadu officials do not agree to its demand for an increased share of water.
The November 13 meeting is therefore expected to establish the immediate position of both states on reservoir releases, water allocation and the operation of the Sholayar-linked system. Any further decision will depend on the discussions between the participating officials.
