Kerala gets Wildlife Board approval for Silandhi check dam, likely to trigger dispute with TN

The Kerala Water Authority confirmed that the NBWL has given the green light to use 0.0442 hectares of forest land from Anamudi Shola National Park to construct the weir across the Silandhi river

Kerala has secured approval from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to erect a check dam across the Silandhi river in Vattavada village in the hill district of Idukki, which is likely to lead to the eruption of another interstate water dispute.

Kerala gets Wildlife Board approval for Silandhi check dam, likely to trigger dispute with TN

Ever since the idea was mooted two years ago, Tamil Nadu has been vehemently objecting to the move, warning that it will disrupt the inflow to the Amaravathy Dam. It contends that this could spell disaster for over 55,000 acres of farmland in the Tiruppur and Karur districts and put drinking water supplies of thousands of residents in the region at risk.

The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) confirmed that the NBWL has given the green light to use 0.0442 hectares of forest land from Anamudi Shola National Park to construct the weir across the Silandhi river in Vattavada Panchayat, which borders Tamil Nadu.

This project, part of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), is now all set to begin, having already received clearances from the chief wildlife warden of Kerala, the Kerala State Board for Wildlife, and the Kerala government.

KWA said that the dam is intended to alleviate the severe drinking water crisis prevailing in Vattavada and several other villages near the renowned hill station of Munnar, and the environmental costs are minimal.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin wrote to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday calling for immediate action to halt its construction across the Silandhi river, a significant tributary of the Amaravathy river. Former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and other leaders from the opposition AIADMK have publicly said that they will not allow any actions from Kerala that jeopardise the drinking and irrigation needs of residents in the two affected districts, especially given the already scarce groundwater resources. Leaders within the ruling alliance, including Vaiko, have urged Stalin to pursue legal avenues to address the new threat posed by Kerala, which could compromise the water security of those dependent on the dam built in 1958.

“The major water sources for the Amaravathy Dam are the inter-state rivers Pambaru, Thenaru, Chinnaru, and Silandhi. A decade ago, Kerala constructed a check dam on the Pambaru river in the Kanthallur panchayat, negatively impacting the water flow into the dam. This construction took place despite our strong objections. If allowed to continue, the new check dam could pose a serious setback for Tamil Nadu farmers,’’ said Sivakumar Velu, a farmers leader based in Tirupur.

“If Kerala’s plans succeed, not a drop of water will reach the Amaravathy dam,” added Velu, who is also state vice president of the farmers wing of Viduthalai Chithuraikal Katchi (VCK), a constituent of DMK front.

Last year, farmers organisations in the Western Tamil Nadu region had raised an issue before the National Green Tribunal (South Zone).

In response, the Tribunal directed the government of Kerala, its water resources department (WRD), and the forest department to ensure that all necessary approvals for the construction of the check dam were obtained as the matter involves conflicting interests of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Tribunal also instructed that if proper approvals were not in place for the check dam construction, the project proponent should suspend the project until the appropriate approvals were granted.

According to the application filed by the KWA with the NGT, the authority planned to construct a weir that would be 45 metres long and 1 metre high across the river. It was noted that considering a consumptive use of 20%, the proposed annual utilisation would remain well within the domestic water allocation of 0.02 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) in the Pambar sub-basin of Kerala as stipulated in the Cauvery River Basin water-sharing agreement.

According to the minutes from the latest National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) meeting, the standing committee has decided to approve the proposal, subject to eight conditions. The committee stipulated that the work must be completed within one year from the date of sanction. Additionally, the user agency is required to submit an annual compliance certificate regarding these conditions to the chief wildlife warden. Similarly, the state chief wildlife warden must provide an annual compliance certificate to the government.

KWA managing director K Jeevan Babu said, “The water proposed to be drawn from the stream would only be 0.0386 TMC, within the limits set by the Cauvery Tribunal. Consequently, constructing a weir is essential to create a ponding effect, stabilise the water level, and enable uninterrupted water extraction.”