PAP farmers in Pollachi protest delay in completion of repair works along contour canal

Farmers demand swift repairs on PAP canal to prevent water wastage, as Parambikulam Dam nears full capacity.

Farmers who rely on water from the 124-km Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) canal protested outside the Water Resources Department office in Pollachi, demanding swift completion of repairs on the 49-km contour canal. This canal supplies water from the dam systems in the Western Ghats to the Thirumoorthy Dam.

For the ensuing cultivation season, water released into the PAP Dam is expected to irrigate fields in the second and third zones for an eight-month period ending in April next year. However, farmers have raised concerns about the slow pace of repairs at several vulnerable points along the contour canal, criticising officials for not expediting the work.

The Parambikulam Dam has now reached over 65% of its capacity. Repairs initiated in 2021 were supposed to be completed within 30 months. In both 2022 and 2023, the Department managed to finish repairs on vulnerable stretches totalling 2.5 km each year.

Acknowledging the delay, officials who held talks with farmers reasoned that they had to overcome several limitations to undertake the task in the contour canal since it was in a tiger reserve. Despite this, farmers criticised the department, stressing that the Parambikulam Dam was filling up quickly and that water should not be wasted.

As of Thursday, the water level in the Parambikulam Dam stood at 42.8 feet out of a maximum depth of 72 feet, with storage at 11.6 mcft against a maximum capacity of 17.82. Given the inflow of 2,881 cusecs recorded on Thursday, the dam is expected to reach full capacity in 25 days.

Farmers expressed their frustration that with Kerala declaring that it will not presently require water from the Aliyar and Parambikulam Dams, the Water Resources Department would face the ignominy of wasting surplus water in the event if the dams overflow due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas

A senior official stated that repairs on two sections of the contour canal, 400 and 700 metres long, are nearly complete, and the remaining work will be finished on time. Initially, the Department aimed to complete the repairs by 15 August, but following the farmers’ protest, they have committed to completing the work by 5 August, and with certainty by 8 August.