THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst the drought situation, a high level delegation visited Neyyar dam on Tuesday to look into the possibility of bringing water from the dam to Aruvikkara reservoir that supplies water to the city. Presently, Aruvi-kkara reservoir is fed solely by Peppara dam which has enough water to last till mid-May only. Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas told officials to rework the 40-year-old proposal of linking Neyyar dam to Aruvikkara reservoir. DC had earlier reported the hurdles that might make the project unviable.
The Neyyar dam can be linked with Aruvikkara through a 8.5 km corridor from the Kappukadu side. Of this, 7kms will be an open canal that already exists and the rest will be pipelines. The project was first envisaged under the Chief Ministership of C. Achutha Menon when a severe drought hit the city in 1975. However, unlike during those times, the water level in Neyyar dam is very low today. As a result, gravity will not completely aid the flow of water from the dam to Aruvikkara area which is located at a slightly lower elevation.
“It will be studied whether floating pumps can be used to pump water into a platform and then channelled to Aruvikkara. The Forest department’s permission will be needed to revitalise the canal and make the pipeline,” said Minister Mathew T. Thomas. There is around 13 million cubic metre of water in Neyyar. This might be enough for the city’s drinking water needs once Peppara hits a dead stock next month. The Minister said the irrigation needs from Neyyar dam through its left and right bank canal will not be disrupted by the project. However, it was unclear whether the project can be completed before mid-May.
The pipelines which were laid in 1975 by a company called Kerala Electrical Works is unusable. The 7 km canal between Kappucaud area and Aruvikkara has thick vegetation. Also, seepage loss will nullify the virtues of the project as half of all the water that will be channelled to Aruvikkara from Neyyar will be lost during transit. The project was not commissioned earlier as before its completion, summer rains recharged Aruvi-kkara. Later, Peppara dam was commissioned in 1983 and it was serving the city’s wants without a need for an alternative until today.
