Thu Dec 26 16:06:32 UTC 2024: ## Tamil Nadu Farmers Demand Water Release from Parambikulam Aliyar Project Dams
**Uthamapalayam, Tamil Nadu – December 26, 2024** – Farmers in the Kangayam-Vellakovil belt of Tamil Nadu are urging the government to release water from the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) dams to the Vattamalai reservoir. Citing severe dry conditions, the PAP Vellakovil Branch Canal (Kangayam-Vellakovil) Water Conservation Association has submitted a formal request highlighting the critically low water levels in the Vattamalai reservoir.
Currently holding only 1 million cubic feet (mcft) of water, the reservoir has a capacity of 268 mcft. Association president P. Velusamy emphasized that surplus water from the PAP dams, which currently flows into the Arabian Sea, should be diverted to the Vattamalai reservoir. He noted that while the Water Resources Department ordered the release of 300 mcft to the Upper Dam, insufficient attention was given to the Vattamalai reservoir’s needs.
Mr. Velusamy further pointed out that water has been diverted to other tanks in the past without official orders, urging the government to prioritize filling the Vattamalai reservoir as per a 1995 government order and a subsequent 2021 High Court directive. The farmers’ plea underscores the urgent need for water management in the region to mitigate the impact of the ongoing drought.
First Piper 