Tue Mar 18 15:28:39 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Minister Assures No Water Shortages from Meenachil River Valley Project
**Thiruvananthapuram, March 18, 2025** – Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine on Tuesday addressed concerns regarding the Meenachil river valley project, assuring that it will not negatively impact water availability in neighboring districts. The project aims to redirect excess water from the Muvattupuzha basin to Kottayam district, ensuring a stable water supply for drinking and irrigation, particularly during dry seasons.
The project was initially met with concerns from Kerala Congress (Jacob) legislator Anoop Jacob, who feared it could lead to water shortages in Muvattupuzha, Piravom, and surrounding areas. Minister Augustine countered these concerns, stating that the Meenachil river, Kottayam’s primary water source, severely lacks water during the dry months. The project, he explained, will connect the Muvattupuzha and Meenachil basins to alleviate this issue.
The Minister further clarified that the project’s increased capacity is linked to the expansion of the Moolamattom hydroelectric project. This expansion, adding four new 200 MW generators, will increase the amount of excess water available for redirection to the Meenachil river. The Moolamattom plant currently discharges 163 cubic meters of water per second, and the expansion will add another 150 cubic meters per second, totaling 314 cubic meters per second flowing into the Thodupuzha river. This surplus water will then be channeled through the Malankara Dam and the Muvattupuzha river to Kottayam.
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