Tamil Nadu and Kerala Plan ₹82 Crore Upgrade for Siruvani Dam to Improve Coimbatore Water Supply

The Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments have jointly decided to undertake major maintenance and strengthening works at the Siruvani Dam, a crucial source of drinking water for Coimbatore, in an effort to improve water storage and ensure uninterrupted supply to the city.

The Siruvani Dam, which is under the control of the Kerala government, plays a vital role in meeting Coimbatore's drinking water requirements. Tamil Nadu provides financial assistance for the dam's maintenance under an agreement between the two states. Although the dam has a total height of 50 feet, water is stored only up to 45 feet for safety reasons.

Under the existing agreement, up to 100 million litres of water can be drawn daily. However, current water levels remain below 10 feet due to inadequate rainfall and leakage issues in the dam's sluice system. As a result, water extraction has been significantly reduced.

Experts from the National Dam Safety Committee in Pune recently inspected the dam and recommended repairing the leakage using high-pressure cement grouting techniques. The repair is expected to reduce water loss and improve the efficiency of the reservoir.

A joint review meeting involving officials from Tamil Nadu and Kerala was recently held in Palakkad to discuss the future development and maintenance of the dam. Representatives from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and Coimbatore Corporation participated in the discussions.

Officials stated that the joint committee meeting was conducted after a gap of three years. Between 2022 and 2026, the Tamil Nadu government has provided ₹26 crore to Kerala for the maintenance of the Siruvani Dam.

The meeting focused on several infrastructure improvements, including maintenance of access roads, buildings, and vehicles used for dam operations. Authorities noted that leakage from damaged sluices currently results in the loss of nearly 10 million litres of water every day.

Due to these losses, only around 30 million litres of water have been drawn daily from January through June before the onset of the monsoon season. Officials emphasized that strengthening the dam and repairing the leaks would help ensure a stable drinking water supply to Coimbatore until March each year.

Tamil Nadu has also requested continuous access permission from Kerala for four official vehicles used for dam-related operations and maintenance activities.

While Kerala initially estimated that ₹93 crore would be required for pending and ongoing maintenance works, both states eventually agreed to undertake works worth ₹64 crore. In addition, a separate allocation of ₹18 crore has been proposed specifically for leak repair and strengthening measures.

The joint report prepared by officials from both states will be submitted for approval to the Tamil Nadu government. Once approved, the project is expected to commence during the next summer season and be completed in phases.

The planned improvements are expected to significantly enhance the dam's efficiency, reduce water wastage, and provide long-term benefits for Coimbatore's drinking water infrastructure.