Neyyar water-sharing understanding between Kerala and Tamil Nadu now disputed
The long-running Neyyar water-sharing understanding between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which began with the dam/canal inauguration in 1958, but the routine informal water supply under the unwritten understanding dates from about 1965, has now turned into a drawn-out legal battle.
What began as a project to irrigate thousands of acres, including 9,000 acres in Tamil Nadu's Vilavancode, fell apart when Kerala stopped supplying water in 2004 after decades without a formal agreement.
Vilavancode farmers abandon paddy cultivation
With Kerala halting the water supply over management concerns, Tamil Nadu took the issue to the Supreme Court in 2012.
The case is still unresolved, leaving Vilavancode farmers struggling.
Many have had to give up paddy farming and switch to coconut, banana, and rubber, or even convert their fields for housing, showing just how much local lives are tied up in this ongoing dispute.