Mullaperiyar Dam

The Supreme Court has told the Supervisory Committee to quickly decide on the highest water level allowed at the Mullaperiyar Dam, especially during heavy rains in Kerala.

About Mullaperiyar Dam

It was built in 1895 on the Periyar River in the Idukki district of Kerala.
It is situated high up in the Western Ghats, adjacent to Kerala’s famed Periyar wildlife sanctuary.
Mullaperiyar is listed among the world’s big dams that need to be decommissioned in a report by the UN University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health.
It has been stated that the Mullaperiyar dam, situated in a seismically active area, faces the risk of failure.
The ageing of large dams is an emerging global development issue as they pose threats to human safety and the environment.
Decommissioning Mullaperiyar is strongly opposed by Tamil Nadu state, which inherited a lease agreement between the former princely state of Travancore (now Kerala) and the British government.
The matter is still subjudice in the Supreme Court.

Background

The Supreme Court was looking into a case that expressed worry about the water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam.
Over time, arguments between Kerala and Tamil Nadu have arisen regarding the management and safety of the dam, as well as the fairness of the lease agreement for the Mullaperiyar Dam.
Kerala has blamed the Tamil Nadu government for making unexpected releases of water on multiple occasions in the past.

Origin of Issue

In 1979, a row erupted over the safety of the dam.
Consequently, in November 1979, a tripartite meeting chaired by the then head of the Central Water Commission, K.C.
Thomas decided that water level had to be brought down from the full reservoir level of 152 ft to 136 ft, in order to enable Tamil Nadu to carry out dam strengthening works.
By mid-1990, Tamil Nadu started demanding restoration of the water level in the Mullaperiyar as it had completed the task assigned to it.
When no consensus was reached through negotiations, the Supreme Court was approached.
In two separate judgements, in 2006 and 2014, the apex court held that the water level is raised to 142 ft.

Supreme Court Ruling

The court told the Supervisory Committee to start working right away. They needed to figure out the highest water level allowed in the dam due to the rain.
All the relevant authorities were told to talk to each other urgently about this matter. The court emphasized that it was a matter of people’s lives.

Why Controversy over Mullaperiyar Dam then?

In 1979, problems erupted over the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam.
It was claimed that a minor earthquake had resulted in the cracks in the dam.
Consequently, the Central Water Commission decided that water level in the dam be brought down from the full reservoir level of 152 ft to 136 ft.
It will enable Tamil Nadu to carry out dam strengthening works.
By the 1990s, Tamil Nadu started demanding restoration of the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam as it completed the task assigned to it.
They approached the Supreme Court when no consensus was reached through negotiations.
In 2014 as per directions of the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Jal Shakti constituted a three-member Supervisory Committee.

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