Opposition to Andhra Pradesh’s proposal to build a check dam on the Palar River

Activists in Tamil Nadu have claimed the proposed construction is against the inter-state river water sharing agreement outlined in Schedule A of the Madras-Mysore Agreement of 1892, and they have urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to stop the construction. This comes after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced the allocation of Rs 215 crore funds for the construction of a check dam in the Palar river at Shanthipuram in Kuppam constituency.

As per the Madras-Mysore Agreement, 1892, Clause II of Schedule A, the upstream state is prohibited from building any ayacut or structure to obstruct, divert, or store the waters of the river across any part of the 15 main rivers named in Schedule A appended to the agreement without the prior consent of the downstream state, in this case, Palar in Tamil Nadu, according to river activist Ashokan, who is also a member of the Rivers of Ecology Committee.

Tamil Nadu, a state downstream, would be significantly impacted by the construction of the 23rd check dam in AP. This is evidence of the AP government’s ongoing violations of the interstate agreement to share the Palar River, and the Tamil Nadu government has no business witnessing this, according to Ashokan.

Since the Palar River supplies the majority of the water for over 4.5 lakh hectares of the state’s agricultural area, farmers in Tamil Nadu’s northern regions mostly depend on it for irrigation. Andhra Pradesh’s farmers are facing a serious water crisis as a result of the building of 22 check dams, which have drastically decreased the river’s flow into the state.

A 47-year-old farmer from Amballur in Vaniyambadi named Shanmuga Sundaram raised alarm, saying that the TN government has not started building bed dams or dykes along the river to raise the groundwater level despite repeated demands. In a statement, PMK leader S Ramadoss expressed disbelief at the Andhra Minister’s assertion that the dispute between the state of Andhra Pradesh and the Tamil Nadu government over the check dam matter had been settled. He denounced the government for disregarding Tamil Nadu’s rights in this matter. MDMK leader Vaiko said that AP had constructed 21 minor and one big barrage across the Palar, whereas Karnataka had constructed three barrages in defiance of SC directives.

WRD Executive Engineer Vellore informed TNIE that the agency is currently gathering information on the new development in Palar.