The state government has given administrative sanction for the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for the Kadamanthodu and Thondar dam projects for the effective utilisation of 21 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water in the Kabani sub-basin in Wayanad as per the verdict of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT).

The move aims at addressing the water scarcity of Pulppalli and Mullankolly panchayats of Sulthan Bathery taluk. It will also ensure irrigation facilities for the farmers of Edavaka and Thondernad panchayats. An official of the Kabani Sub Basin said that field surveys for the two projects are almost over. "We will be inviting the EoI soon. The time for preparation of DPR is less than 8 months," he said.

The origin of the CWDT was in 1990 when Tamil Nadu raised its claims for a major share of the waters of the River Cauvery, which flows the longest stretch through the state. Kerala also joined the legal wrangle, claiming many of the tributaries of the River Cauvery, including the River Kabani, originate from Wayanad District. In its verdict in 2007, CWDT had allocated 30 TMC in total for the utilisation of the state, including 20.56 TMC for Wayanad. The district utilises less than 4 TMC of water so far.

Noted surface water scientist E J James, the chairman of the Cauvery Panel constituted by the state government to coordinate the efforts for effective utilisation of water from the Cauvery basin, said that the project will not have any major social/environmental impacts. "Only if we systematically implement the projects, we would be able to tap up to 15 TMC water," he said.

The major attempt to utilise the water from the Kabani basin was the Karappuzha Dam (2.78 TMC). Though there are many check-dams, most of them are defunct. The capacity of the Kadmanthode project is just .51 TMC, though the tribunal had allotted 1.53 TMC water for the project.

The original proposal was to tap the water of River Kadamanthodu through seven small and medium-sized dam projects, utilising a total of 1.53 TMC of water. However, this plan was scaled down to minimise social impact, as widespread protests had erupted from various sections. According to the proposal, the mini dam would have a length of 490 meters, a height of 28 meters, and would be spread over a reservoir area of 123 hectares.