All-party team to meet Kerala CM, condemn check dam construction

Coimbatore: A group of leaders from various political parties led by Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) will inspect the construction of the third check dam across Bhavani River carried out by the Kerala government at Sholaiyur near Attapadi on March 7.
The decision was taken in an all-party meeting held at the DMK party district headquarters at north Coimbatore on Saturday. Leaders of DMK, MDMK, Congress, VCK, SDPI, TPDK and Vivasayigal Sangam participated in the meeting.

“We had registered our protest against Kerala for constructing two check dams at Manjakandi and Thekuvattai. But, the Tamil Nadu government did not take any steps to stop the construction. So, they successfully constructed two check dams and now are trying to construct a third one at Sholaiyur. We plan to visit the place on March 7 and will also meet Kerala chief minister and ask him to stop the construction,” TPDK general secretary Ku Ramakrishnan said.

Bhavani River, which originates in the Nilgiris district, flows about 37km through Kerala before entering Tamil Nadu. The river is the main source for drinking water and irrigation for Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode.

As per the Cauvery tribunal’s final award, Kerala government planned to construct six check dams across the river last year to draw five thousand million cubic feet of water from it. Kerala has constructed two check dams at Thekuvattai and Manjakandi. It is planning to construct four more at Padavayal, Seerakadavu, Chavaidyur and Sholaiyur in the Attapadi reserve forest.

The foundation work was started for constructing the check dam at Padavayal. However, after farmers in Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur registered their protest against the Kerala government with the help of various political outfits and organisations in May 2017, the government stopped the construction work for a while. Meanwhile, it began construction of the third check dam at Sholaiyur.