Moyar river project for Thalavadi cannot be taken up now: WRD

The Water Resources Department (WRD) has said that a detailed feasibility study for the proposed project to bring water from River Moyar to the Thalavadi area cannot be undertaken at present, citing environmental restrictions, pending cases concerning the Cauvery basin and a government directive to keep proposals for new irrigation projects in abeyance.

Thalavadi block has a population of around 68,000 spread across 10 panchayats and 118 villages. With the groundwater table falling sharply, several borewells, agricultural wells and water bodies have dried up. Residents said the region had received little or no significant rainfall for more than a year. Against this backdrop, they have been demanding a lift irrigation project to draw water from River Moyar and supply it to villages in Thalavadi.

S. Vinothkumar of Thalavadi, in a petition submitted through the Chief Minister’s grievances portal in September, sought immediate steps to implement the Moyar River Water Project to safeguard drinking water supply, agriculture and the livelihoods of people in the area. The response was issued by Executive Engineer M. Ravi of the Planning and Designs Division, WRD, Erode, on September 25.

According to the department, the average groundwater level in borewells and open wells in the vicinity of Thalavadi was 8.38 metres, while the rainfall reliability of the area was 6.79 million cubic feet per square mile. It also noted that, under Government Order No. 35 of the Water Resources (R1) Department dated March 10, 2026, Thalavadi falls under the Safe Zone in terms of groundwater exploitation.

The department said River Moyar is located in the core area of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), in the Thalamalai Reserved Forest area. An area extending up to 10 km from the boundary of the tiger reserve has also been notified as an Eco-Sensitive Zone. Therefore, prior permission from the National Board for Wildlife would be required to conduct a feasibility study, it said.

The District Forest Officer and the Deputy Director of the STR had also stated in a communication dated October 7, 2020, that proposals for non forest-related activities in such areas could be considered only after obtaining the requisite permission in accordance with a Supreme Court order.

The department further said the proposed diversion of Moyar River water to Thalavadi would involve an inter-basin transfer, as it concerns the Bhavani and Swarnavathi sub-basins. Since the area forms part of the Cauvery basin and various cases relating to it are pending, the request could not be taken up for consideration at present, it said.

It also cited a communication dated July 24, 2024, from the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, WRD, directing that the process of forwarding proposals relating to new irrigation projects be kept in abeyance until further orders. “Therefore, at present, it is not possible to undertake a detailed feasibility study for the project,” the department said.

When contacted, Mr. Vinothkumar told The Hindu that people had believed that the project would be implemented as a permanent solution to the water shortage. “Now that it is clear that the project cannot be taken up, efforts should be made to desilt water bodies in the hill area to enhance their storage capacity and also study other measures to address the issue,” he said.