Chittur farmers face crisis as Tamil Nadu releases less water than agreed: Krishnankutty

Former Power Minister K. Krishnankutty has alleged that paddy cultivation in the Chittur region is facing a crisis as Tamil Nadu is not releasing Keralam’s share of water under the Parambikulam-Aliyar agreement.

Addressing the media here on Saturday (September 12, 2026), Mr. Krishnankutty said Keralam was to receive 400 cubic feet of water during the current 15-day period, but only 100 cubic feet was being released into the Chittur river.

The shortage has forced farmers to abandon cultivation on around 50,000 acres, causing an estimated loss of ₹150 crore, he said. Paddy fields that have already been cultivated are also at risk of drying up at a critical stage of the first crop, he said.

Mr. Krishnankutty said the Parambikulam-Aliyar project’s reservoirs had sufficient water, including around 3.7 tmc in the Parambikulam components. Despite this, Tamil Nadu was not releasing even the 400 cubic feet due to Keralam, which he described as a violation of the agreement.

He said up to 2,150 cubic feet of water could be brought to the Chittur river through various routes from the Parambikulam region. He also alleged that adequate steps were not being taken to ensure the required inflow into the Aliyar reservoir.

Mr. Krishnankutty recalled that during previous water shortages, Keralam had secured its share through government-level intervention. Meetings were held with the Tamil Nadu government and, when necessary, water was released directly into Aliyar through the canal, he said.

Criticising the State government for its lack of intervention this time, he urged it to take up the issue at the Chief Minister level and secure Keralam’s full share of water from Tamil Nadu.

The former Minister also called for the immediate restoration of water supply to protect the first paddy crop and prevent further losses to farmers.