Refusing to toe the line of the Union Environment Ministry’s National Board of Wildlife (NBWl), the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has said ‘no’ to the proposal of Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) which manages the famous Sabrimala temple to increase the height of the Kunnur dam for supplying water to the famous Hindu pilgrimages located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Kerala.
At a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWl) chaired by Enviro-
nment Minister Anil Madhav Dave in January this year, the NTCA advised the TDB that instead of increasing height which meant diversion of a piece of forest land, the existing water pipe lines could be repaired and made operational to restore the supply to the pilgrims thronging the temple.
The TDB backed by the Kerala Government had submitted that there was no alternative other than to raise the height of Kunnur dam by 2.5 meters to ensure water supply to the pilgrims thronging the temple. It had sought diversion of 0.655 ha of forestland from the PTR in the Western Ghat ranges for the purpose.
However, representatives from the NTCA rejected the demand, saying the storage capacity can be enhanced outside the tiger reserve area instead of raising dam height. They also maintained that while the dam already exists, water augmentation is needed early for the coming pilgrimage season. They also pointed out that augmented water storage would be utilised for a limited period of the year by pilgrims.
The NTCA refusal comes months after the NBWl had given go ahead for increase in the dam height in August last year. The proposal was submitted by the high-power committee (HPC) on Sabarimala seeking increase of the height of the Kunnar dam in the Sabarimala forests and laying an additional eight-km waterline from the weir to the Sannidhanam. However, the NBWl nod was subject to the NTCA permission.
Sources in the Ministry said officials from the NTCA, Kerala Government , PTR and TDB will hold a meeting soon to chalk ways to implement the NTCA suggestions.