The Sholayar water dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is set to move to a formal discussion, with Kerala proposing a meeting of the Joint Water Regulation Board on November 9 or 13 over allegations that the state has not received its full share under the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project agreement.
Kerala Irrigation Minister Mons Joseph told The Times of India that Kerala is responsible for convening the next JWRB meeting under the protocol governing the interstate agreement. He said the date would be finalised in consultation with Tamil Nadu officials.
The decision followed a meeting attended by Chalakudy MLA Saneesh Kumar Joseph, Chittur MLA Sumesh Achuthan, Nemmara MLA K Preman and senior officials of Kerala’s irrigation department. The proposed talks come as farmers in the Chittur and Nemmara regions express concern that their plans for the second crop season could be affected unless Tamil Nadu releases the required quantity of water from the Parambikulam reservoir.
According to a memorandum submitted by Saneesh Kumar to the irrigation minister and Chief Minister V D Satheesan, Kerala is entitled to receive 12,300 million cubic feet, or 348 million cubic metres, of water annually from the Sholayar sub-basin under the PAP agreement. The allocation is to be delivered between July 1 and February 1.
The MLA said Kerala had received approximately 185 million cubic metres between July 1 and October 6 in the current water year and was still due another 160 million cubic metres. He said the Sholayar reservoir had only about 50 million cubic metres of water at the time of the report. Saneesh Kumar has urged the state government to take immediate steps to prevent Tamil Nadu from diverting water from the Upper Sholayar reservoir until Kerala receives its allocated share.
The dispute concerns a water system whose operation affects irrigation and river flows across the two states. The Chalakudy River Protection Council said Kerala had the first claim to water from the Sholayar and Chitturpuzha systems, and argued that Tamil Nadu could claim only the yield beyond Kerala’s entitlement, including in years of deficient rainfall. Council leader S P Ravi alleged that Tamil Nadu had diverted water from the Tamil Nadu Sholayar Dam to Parambikulam in violation of the agreement. These allegations have not been independently confirmed in the supplied report.
Ravi also said water flowing into the Tamil Nadu Sholayar, including water diverted from Nirar, should be released into Kerala Sholayar until Kerala’s allocation is met. He warned that the water level in the Chalakudy River could fall sharply in the coming weeks if releases from Upper Sholayar do not increase. The proposed JWRB meeting is expected to provide the next formal setting for the two states to discuss the allocation, diversion and release of water under the interstate protocol.
