The move to revive the Attappadi Valley Irrigation Project (AVIP) which was abandoned nearly two decades ago by the UDF government is all set to become another battle of nerves between Kerala and Tamil Nadu as in the case of the Mullaperiyar dam.
Earlier, Water Resources Minister P J Joseph during a visit to Mannarkad, had said that the AVIP project would be implemented by making use of the 6.5 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water awarded to the state under the Cauvery river water sharing agreement. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala who recently paid a two-day visit to Attappadi had said that he would present a report to the government to revive the AVIP project.
“It is clear that Tamil Nadu is unaware of the real situation. Earlier, when there was a proposal to build a weir across Bhavani at Mukkali, when T M Jacob was the Water Resources Minister, people from Tamil Nadu had come from across the border and blocked the construction work. The protest was on the belief that Kerala was going ahead with the construction of a weir but under the AVIP, a dam will be constructed at Chittur in Attapadi,“ said Francis, executive engineer of Kanhirapuzha irrigation project.
