Kerala and Tamil Nadu have agreed to interact more frequently and facilitate smooth exchange of information in matters pertaining to river water sharing, including the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP).
A meeting of the secretary-level committee on interstate water issues formed by the two States after the Chief Minister-level talks in September last year was held here on Friday. The meeting sought to establish a cordial atmosphere wherein talks on the complex water-sharing issues can be taken forward.
Flood management
It has been generally agreed to interact more frequently on matters under the committee’s mandate and to enable smooth exchange of information, T.K. Jose, Additional Chief Secretary (Water Resources), who led the Kerala side, said. PWD secretary K. Manivasan led the Tamil Nadu delegation.
Friday’s discussions also touched upon cooperation between the two States in matters pertaining to flood management in Kerala river basins during monsoon.
Following heavy rainfall in August this year, Kerala had requested Tamil Nadu to draw more water from dams that are part of the PAP agreement and the Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki to ease the rising river water levels here.
Meeting between CMs
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Tamil Nadu counterpart Edappadi K. Palaniswami had met in Thiruvananthapuram on September 25, 2019, where it was agreed, in principle, to review the PAP agreement. To take the talks forward, Tamil Nadu and Kerala also formed a secretary-level committee with five members each from the two States. The first meeting of the committee was held in December, 2019, in Chennai.
The next meeting of the committee is likely to be held in Chennai. The date will be decided later.
