Thiruvananthapuram:
The minister-level talks between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the inter-state Parambikulam-Aliyar river water sharing agreement in Thiruvananthapuram today will seek to resolve the deadlock between the two states on the water sharing issue.
Under the agreement, Kerala is entitled to get 7.25 thousand million cubic metres (tmc) water from the Aliyar dam between July 1 and June 30.
"Kerala has received only 5 tmc water till March 31. The condition is very bleak and repeated requests have been made to the Tamil Nadu government but they aren't releasing the required amount", District Collector of Palakka d M Ali Asgar Pasha said.
With the summer rains already short by 40 per cent and less water being released by Tamil Nadu, several areas like Chittoor have been severely affected with many check dams on the main Bharatpuzha river bed lying empty and parched. This river is known to be the backbone for irrigation in several areas of Kerala.
Tamil Nadu, however, has blamed the weak monsoon for the inadequate release of water supply to Kerala. Talks between Tamil Nadu PWD Minister KV Ramakingam and Kerala Water Resource Minister P J Joseph are being conducted after the secretary-level talks between the two states had failed to resolve the deadlock.
Though the Kerala government has approached the Supreme Court on this issue, it says it is also open to talks now that the Tamil Nadu government is open to negotiations.
In the history of Kerala, it is for the first time that all the districts have been declared drought-hit. Carrying multiple pots of water, a woman in her fifties says the people in her village in Chittoor "receive drinking water once in 15 days and lorry water once in three days." With even Tamil Nadu being affected by drought, the struggle to get water for the two neighbouring states is only going to get severe.