Expert committee shelved ₹1,875 crore Koraiyar reservoir project, looks for alternative options
The Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has deferred the award of contract (ToR) for the proposed ₹1,875 crore Koraiyar Reservoir project in Tirunelveli district and directed the Water Resources Department (WRD) to explore alternative sites outside the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR).
The proposal, discussed in a recent meeting, involves the construction of a reservoir across the Koraiyar at Vickramasingapuram in Ambasamudram taluk to irrigate the 9,091.5 hectare (ha) cultural command area. The project is intended to harness monsoon floods from the Koraiyar, a tributary of the Tamirabharani, for irrigation, flood mitigation and groundwater recharge.
The proposed reservoir will have a dam height of 43 meters and require about 16.95 kiloliters of water per day during construction. The project has been classified as a category A proposal for environmental assessment as it falls within a tiger reserve, although its command area would otherwise classify it as category B1.
According to the project proponent, the reservoir would increase the irrigated ayacut from the existing 1,225.66 ha to 9,091.5 ha, benefiting the drought-prone areas of Alangulam, Manur and Tirunelveli taluks, where farmers were seeking assured irrigation. The project is also expected to stabilize existing irrigation, improve groundwater recharge and reduce downstream flooding.
However, the committee expressed concern over the ecological impact of the project as it falls within the KMTR, a protected area of high ecological importance supporting tigers, nilgiri langurs and other endemic flora and fauna. The EAC found that the project would require 819.21 ha of land, including 186.74 ha of forest land and 632.48 ha of non-forest land. The submerged area would occupy 278.11 ha, including 156.44 ha of forest reserve forest. He also stated that the proponent of the project has not yet applied for the felling of the forest in Stage I.
The committee further stated that the project proponent did not adequately explore alternative options to achieve the proposed irrigation benefits. It suggested exploring reservoir sites in the upper reaches of the Chittar basin to increase the capacity of the Manur and Pallamadai reservoirs, noting that such alternatives could meet the intended objectives with lower investment and reduced environmental impact.
During the meeting, the committee also recommended exploring the possibility of relocating the proposed dam to other undammed tributaries of the Chittar basin outside the tiger reserve, which it said could substantially reduce impacts on natural habitats and protected ecosystems.
After the proposal was shelved, the EAC ordered WRD to submit a comprehensive analysis of alternatives covering various project locations, configurations and designs, supported by site-specific studies, maps and technical, environmental and economic comparisons. It also asked for a detailed justification for the project’s location in a tiger reserve, including an assessment of likely impacts on tiger habitats and other ecologically significant species.
Published – 11 Jul 2026 18:31 IST