Chennai, May 8 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water supply, K.N. Nehru said that the government would send a delegation of officials to Kerala for the release of water from the Siruvani dam.

He was speaking to reporters at Coimbatore on Sunday after inspecting the works undertaken by the department.

He said that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has written a letter to the Kerala Chief Minister for the release of water from the Siruvani dam.

K.N. Nehru said that Tamil Nadu is yet to receive a reply to the letter from the Kerala Chief Minister, but will send officials to Kerala for the release of water from Siruvani that was due to Coimbatore.

The minister said that initially the Kerala government reduced the supply of water by six to seven million litres a day and has further reduced it by 20-30 million litres a day.

Nehru said that the government would contemplate a legal action only after trying to resolve the issue of sharing of Siruvani water through talks and discussions and added that attempting legal route without discussions does not augur well for the state.

The minister laid the foundation for 263 new schemes at a cost of Rs 49.63 crore.