The Water Resources Department has put on hold release of water into Poosarinaicken Lake near Udumalpet in Tiruppur district, in the wake of opposition by the Planning Committee of Parambikulam Aliyar Project (Thirumoorthy Dam).

This was decided at a meeting of officials of the Water Resources Department and representatives of farmers’ associations chaired by the Tiruppur district Collector Manish Narnaware.

Farmers of the water users’ associations of PAP Main Canal reasoned out that releasing water into the lake during the course of fifth wetting of the first zone ayacut would be in contravention of a past directive of the High Court.

After intervention by the Collector, the WRD halted the water release that was scheduled for July 9.

Water release into the lake would resume after July 16 when the duration of the fifth wetting of the first zone of PAP Main Canal would get to a close, official sources said.

According to the PAP Planning Committee Chairman K. Paramasivam, release of water from Thirumoorthy Dam for use beyond the existing 3.77 lakh ayacut could be decided only in the Assembly, and that, as such, even going by the contention of the Water Resources Department, water could be diverted to Poosarinaicken Lake only when there was surplus in Palar river, which would otherwise empty into Arabian sea.

A similar situation arose during April last year, when the Water Resources Department desisted from releasing water into the lake, after the PAP Planning Committee questioned the legality.

The Collector assured representatives of farmers’ associations that a meeting of stakeholders of PAP Main Canal would be convened shortly in the presence of the Tiruppur District In-Charge Minister K.G. Arunraj.

Published - July 10, 2026 11:32 pm IST