In line with a decision by the Kerala government, the Water Resources department has constituted a six-member expert committee to prepare a new report on the Meenachil River Valley project.
Irrigation Design and Research Board (IRDB) director R. Priyesh will lead the committee, which also comprises R. Baji Chandran, superintendent engineer, Irrigation, A. Shanavas, chief engineer, civil investigation, KSEB, C. D. Sunny, assistant executive engineer, investigation, KSEB, P. Mohammad Siddique, superintendent engineer, Water Authority, and V. M. Rajesh, ex-engineer, Kerala Water Authority. The committee will meet this month under the chairmanship of Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine.
When the report for the Idukki hydroelectric project was prepared, the design was to divert the water discharged after power generation to the Meenachil river basin and the Muvattupuzha river basin. While the Muvattupuzha Valley project was implemented in stages, the Meenachil project was shelved on the ground that there was a shortage of water to feed the Meenachil.
Later, based on the decision of an expert committee in July 2011, a detailed project report was prepared consisting of construction of a series of mini-dam-cum-regulators, a dam at Pazhukkakanam and construction of a modified tunnel in three different phases. The mini-dams are suggested at Arunapuram, Parampuzha, Pallikkunnu in Ettumanoor, Chemplavu in Kidangoor, Kuttanal Kadavu in Bharananganam and Cheripadu in Theekoy panchayat.
The project, which has remained in limbo for several decades after it had been first proposed, was revived with Mr. Augustine assuming office as Water Resource Minister.
Meanwhile, a recent meeting of the Meenachil River Valley Action Committee in Pala observed that the initiative had given new hopes for Kottayam, the only district in the State that does not have any irrigation projects of its own. The meeting demanded that the project report be prepared at the earliest and it be implemented soon to avoid the escalation of project cost.
