Parambikulam Aliyar Project

Subject – Geography

Context – With political will, Kerala and Tamil Nadu can overcome hurdles to renew the Parambikulam Aliyar Project agreement

Concept –

The prosperity of the Pollachi region of Tamil Nadu is attributed to the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP). The project paved the way for surplus waters from eight west-flowing rivers to irrigate eastern Tamil Nadu.
Of the eight rivers, six — Anamalaiyar, Thunacadavu, Sholayar, Nirar, Peruvaripallam and Parambikulam — are in the Anamalai hills. Two — Aliyar and Palar — are in the plains.
The project is an exemplar of co-operative federalism, in this case between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Using inter-basin diversion, the project irrigates drought-prone areas in the Coimbatore and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu.
It also stabilises the existing irrigation system in the Chittoorpuzha valley in Kerala.
The PAP agreement was signed between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on May 29, 1970, with retrospective effect from November 1958. It provides for the diversion of 30.5 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) annually from Kerala to Tamil Nadu.
The agreement ensures Kerala’s riparian share in the Sholayar and Chittoorpuzha sub-basins as a guaranteed annual entitlement without applying the distress-sharing formula.
Except for the Kerala Sholayar dam, the Parambikulam, Peruvaripallam and Tunacadavu dams are situated inside Kerala territory but are controlled and operated by Tamil Nadu.
The agreement provides for review every 30 years since November 9, 1958.