The Pandiyar–Moyar water diversion project, proposed to address chronic water scarcity in four districts of the Kongu region, should be included in the election manifestos of all political parties, according to a demand raised by the Pandiyar–Moyar Inaippu Iyakkam.
In a press release, the movement’s coordinator A.N. Asaithambi said the project, which has been under consideration for over 65 years, was crucial for ensuring drinking water supply, agricultural irrigation and livelihood security in Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore and Karur districts.
The project proposes diverting surplus water from River Pandiyar in the Nilgiris into River Moyar, and subsequently into the Bhavanisagar reservoir. At present, nearly 20 tmc ft of water from the Pandiyar flows into the Arabian Sea every year without being utilised, he said.
The Bhavanisagar Dam, constructed in 1955 with a storage capacity of 32.8 tmc ft, has been receiving less than 10 tmc ft of water annually for more than a decade due to recurring droughts. This has severely affected irrigation, groundwater recharge and drinking water supply in the Kongu region, besides impacting farmers’ livelihoods.
The Bhavani river system irrigates about four lakh acres of farmland and supplies drinking water to nearly one crore people across several taluks in Erode, Tiruppur and Karur districts. However, the region faces drought conditions once every five to ten years, making a permanent water solution imperative.
According to the movement, technical studies have confirmed the feasibility of the project, which is estimated to cost around ₹1,900 crore. Discussions on the proposal have been held since 1960, including talks between the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in 2004 and a joint meeting of officials in September 2020. Stating that the project would benefit agriculture, drinking water supply and industrial growth, the movement urged all political parties to make a clear commitment to implement it by including the project in their election manifestos.
