நதிநீர் இணைப்பு அச்சன்கோவில் - பம்பை - வைப்பாறோடு இணைப்பு

உச்சநீதிமன்றம் நதிநீர் இணைப்பு, கேரள அச்சன்கோவில் பம்பை தமிழக வைப்பாறோடு இணைத்தல் மேற்கு நோக்கி கேரளாவில் பாயும் நதிகளை தமிழகத்துக்கு திருப்புதல் குறித்த எனது வழக்கில் 30 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பிறகு தீர்ப்பு வழங்கியது. 

இந்த திட்டங்கள் யாவும் சாத்தியமானவை என்று உச்சநீதிமன்றம் நினைக்கும் போது சில கேரளத்தினர் இது குறித்து தவறான தகவல்களை வெளியிட்டுள்ளனர். இது குறித்து தவறான எதிர்வினையை ஆலப்புழையிலிருந்து அதன் செய்தியாளர் பிஜூ இ. பால் எதிர்வினையாக திட்டமிட்டு வேண்டுமென்றே எழுதியது ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியாது. 

சேட்டன் என்று சொல்லிக் கொண்டு தமிழர்களிடம் அனைத்து அத்தியாவசிய பொருள்களை மட்டும் பெற்றுக் கொண்டு, நதிநீர் பிரச்சனைகளில் அனைத்து கேரளத்தினரும் எதிர்த்து செயலாற்றுவது ஆரோக்கியமற்ற போக்கு மட்டுமல்லாமல் இந்தியாவின் சமஷ்டி அமைப்பையே பாழ்படுத்தும் நடவடிக்கையாகும். 

இந்த செய்தியாளர் எப்படி திட்டமிட்டு வரிந்து வரிந்து எதிர்வினைகளை வைத்துள்ளார் என்பதை பார்த்தாலே நம்மை வேதவையடைய செய்கிறது.

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#அச்சன்கோவில்_பம்பை_வைப்பாறு_இணைப்பு

#achankovil_pamba_vaipar_linking

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கே.எஸ்.இராதாகிருஷ்ணன்.

28-09-2017

Will the pampa and the achankovil quietly flow to TN?

ALAPPUZHA: The Centre has finally decided to navigate troubled waters. It is gearing up to go ahead with the controversial river-linking scheme, raising the hackles of environmentalists and scientists.

The Union Ministry of Water Resources has approved the `5.5 lakh crore project and its first phase was announced a few days ago. As many as 30 projects have been envisaged by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) and the linking of the Pampa and Achankovil rivers in the state with Vaipar in Tamil Nadu is also part of it.

While Kerala has decided to swim against the tide, its neighbour is gung-ho about connecting the rivers. Green activists and scientists also oppose the move tooth and nail, saying it could spell doom for the ecology of Central Kerala and concoct a recipe for environmental disaster in the Vembanad wetlands.

 In the NWDA study carried out two decades ago, it was found the water was excess in Pampa and Achankovil rivers. But they were wrong. From the mouth of the Pampa river to Aranmula, the water is scarce for more than 180 to 200 days every year, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi general secretary N K Sukumaran Nair told Express.

“Only the tailrace water from the Sabarigiri project is a relief to the river. The Achankovil river is also in the same condition and it is almost dry during the entire stretch.” “The Vembanad ecosystem exists with the flood waters of Pampa and Achankovil rivers,” said K G Padmakumar, director of International Research and Training Centre for Below Sea Level Farming. “If dams are constructed on the rivers, it will destroy the system. The salinity in the Vembanad Lake reaches almost half the salinity level of the sea in summer. If the flow of water decreases, it will destroy agriculture in the region. The study of NWDA did not analyse the real situation and they look only at the flood in Kuttanad during the monsoon. The linking project could dry up Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, affecting 30 lakh people.”  Every year, around 4 to 5 crore devotees from across the country reach the Sabarimala pilgrim centre and they depend on the river. The level of pollutants in the Pampa is already high and, after the linking, it will go up further, destroying the river, the serenity of the temple and the Vembanad region, Padmakumar said.

Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas told reporters in New Delhi the project will not be implemented without the permission of the state. “The meeting of NWDA chaired by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on September 12 has agreed to our demands. The demand for the project is based on unscientific studies,” he said.

Pampa-Achankovil-Vaipar project

The project looks at diverting 634 cubic metres of water from Pampa and Achankovil rivers to Vaipar in Tamil Nadu through tunnels and dams. The aim is to irrigate three districts in the neighbouring state - Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar. It also looks at producing  500 MW electricity. Three dams at Punnamedu, Chittarmoozhy and Achankovil have been proposed. Punnamedu and Chittarmuzhi reservoirs are interconnected with an 8-km tunnel. Water from Achankovil reservoir has to be pumped to Chittarmuzhi reservoir.  A 9-km tunnel will be constructed through the Western Ghats. A 50-km-long canal has been proposed to bring water from the tunnel to Mekkara dam. Six mini hydro power plants are also proposed in Achankovil, Punnamedu and in TN along the canal route.

Estimated cost of the project

A2,588 cr

(2000-01 estimate. 8 per cent annual escalation recommended in the estimate)

Ecological imbalances

Three reservoirs will submerge 2,000 hectares of virgin forest and 10 sqkm forest land in Konni and Achenkovil divisions will be destroyed. The flow of water helps in purifying the Vembanad Lake and supports paddy farming in Kuttanad region, which produces around 1.25 lakh tonnes of rice each season. If the flow is reduced, the sediments deposited and saline water intrusion will destroy agriculture. The Vembanad eco-system will be devastated and more than 5 lakh inland fishermen will be rendered jobless.

Potable water projects use water of Pampa and Achankovil rivers and they could be jeopardised as well.