Rasimanal Dam Proposal: Veteran Engineer Says It Could Replace Mekedatu
A veteran engineer from Tamil Nadu has proposed constructing a dam at Rasimanal in Krishnagiri district as an alternative to the contentious Mekedatu drinking water-cum-balancing reservoir project.
The proposed dam, with a capacity of 66 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft), would be located upstream of the Mettur dam in Salem district. It could generate 360 megawatts (MW) of electricity and be operated by Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Department. The total submergence area would be about 106 sq. km, with roughly one-third in Karnataka.
According to A. Stephen, former Chief Engineer in the now-abolished Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), the project offers a 'win-win situation' for both states. It would address Bengaluru's drinking water needs while ensuring water availability for farmers in the Cauvery delta.
P.R. Pandian, a farmer-leader from the Cauvery delta, has strongly supported the Rasimanal dam project.
Mr. Stephen, who participated in Union Power Ministry meetings between 2000 and 2010 on Cauvery basin hydropower projects, noted that the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) had previously identified the Rasimanal site. NHPC's broader plan included Hogenakkal (120 MW) in Tamil Nadu and Shivasamudram (345 MW) and Mekedatu (400 MW) in Karnataka.
In a recent letter to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Stephen outlined the project and suggested it be implemented as a joint venture between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
