CHENNAI: Pointing out that Palar is an “inter-state” river and unilateral constructions across it cannot be accepted, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, on Friday asked her Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu not to go ahead with increasing the height of a check dam across the river that flows in both states.
Ms Jayalalithaa brought to his notice in a letter that the work of increasing the height of a check dam from the existing height of to 12 ft. across Palar river at Perumballam village, in Chittoor District near the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border by Andhra Pradesh’s irrigation department is unacceptable to TN.
Palar is already deficit with water supply and supports an ayacut of about 4.20 lakh acres in Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said, adding that farmers in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu solely depend upon this river for irrigation.
“The Palar river with its sand strata is the only major source for drinking water supply to several towns and villages in the Northern districts of Tamil Nadu. Further, water from Palar is also supplied to the atomic power station at Kalpakkam,” she said in her letter. She also pointed out that as per clause II of the Madras-Mysore Agreement, 1892, the upstream State should not, without the previous consent of the downstream State of TN, build any anaicut or any structure to obstruct, divert or store the waters of the river across any part of the 15 main rivers.
“In the circumstances, the Government of Tamil Nadu lodges its strong protest against the action of the Government of Andhra Pradesh in having unilaterally increased the height of the existing check dam at Perumballam village, Kuppam Revenue Mandal in Chithoor District, in violation of the Madras-Mysore Agreement, 1892,” she said. She asked Mr Naidu to immediately intervene in the matter and issue instructions to the officials concerned to take urgent steps to reduce the level of the check dam to its original level and not to store water additionally and ensure the natural flows to TN.
