Thiruvananthapuram: When the Southwest monsoon hit the Kerala coast on Wednesday, the water level at Peppara dam stood at 103.60 metre. Once it reaches the optimum level of 107.5 metre, authorities would channelise the water towards Aruvikkara dam. However, the storage capacity at Aruvikkara is way below requirement as the proposed desilting at the dam is yet to be taken up by the new government.
“With SW monsoon hitting the Kerala coast, in the next few days Peppara dam will reach its optimum level. We have got permission to hold water only till 107.5 metre", said Suresh Chandran, executive engineer at Peppara dam.
Though there is a provision for increasing the storage capacity by six more metres, due to the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, Supreme Court has not given the consent. Aruvikara dam, which is 33 km downstream from Peppara dam, has only 47 percent storing capacity as it is partially covered with weeds and silt. Currently the floating impurities like weeds and mosses in the Aruvikkara reservoir have been removed.
Kerala State Mineral Development Corporation (KEMDEL), a Public Sector Undertaking, had carried out a study on the desilting process which was submitted to the previous UDF Government. The ball is now in LDF Government's court, said KWA chief engineer G. Sreekumar.
The desilting process carried out during LDF Government in dams including Aruvikkara in 2010, had failed to achieve the desired results. The work was entrusted with National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) workers who were inexperienced and ill-equipped to execute the task. Moreov-er, it was launched only with the objective of extracting sand as there was acute shortage of sand at that time.
