Kumily, Chakkupallam staring at water shortage as level in Thekkady lake dips daily

Kumily: With summer intensifying, the water-level in the Thekkady lake is falling drastically every day, posing a threat to the supply of drinking water to Kumily and Chakkupallam panchayats.

Presently, pumping under the Kerala Water Authority’s (KWA) water supply project, covering these panchayats is carried out from the canal taking water from Thekkady to Tamil Nadu. When the pumping was affected following the dip in water-level in the canal, the KWA authorities shifted the motor to a deeper section of the canal. Even though the issue has been temporarily rectified, the water in the area where the motor is currently installed is only five feet deep. Authorities said that the water in the deepest part of the canal will also dry up within three weeks if the summer heat persists.

The water from Thekkady canal is pumped to the purification plant located near the Amaravathy Government Higher Secondary School before it is carried to the tank at Ottakathalamedu and, from there, to the various distribution tanks in Kumily and Chakkupallam panchayats. In Thekkady, the main pumping station functions behind KTDC’s Periyar House Hotel.

The motor was earlier installed inside the large well adjacent to the Thekkady canal. However, when the water in the well became inadequate to meet the demand, the motor was shifted to the canal.

The water-level in Mullaperiyar dam currently stands at 110.75 feet. Authorities said that the flow to the canal where the motor is placed would be disrupted if the water-level falls to 107 feet.

“The situation will become grave if the summer rains are insufficient.  We haven’t witnessed such a situation for some years,” said an officer.

A team of panchayat members and KWA officials, led by Kumily grama panchayat president M M Varghese, reached the spot on Wednesday and evaluated the situation.