The
tussle between the Tamil Nadu and the Kerala governments on allowing
the latter to construct a new dam in the place of the existing
Mullaperiyar dam continued to have its repercussions. Tamil
Nadu and Kerala are locked in a bitter row over the 116 year-old
structure, with the latter insisting that it be replaced with a new one,
citing safety concerns. Tamil
Nadu is strongly opposed to the move, saying that the dam is strong.
The dam issue has led to tension in the border areas of both states in
recent weeks.
History of the controversy
Mullaperiyar Dam is constructed over the source of the Periyar River in Kerala, India. During the rule of the British in India a 999-year lease was made and accordingly, the Government of Tamil Nadu has been operating the dam.
The dam’s purpose was to divert the waters of the west-flowing Periyar River eastwards, since it caused widespread floods in the Travancore region, by way of a tunnel across the watershed and the Western Ghats to the rain shadow region of the Theni Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu. Water is brought through a 1.6 km long tunnel till the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and then flows through open canals to Churuliyar river which feeds the Vaigai dam in Tamil Nadu.
Since 1970, Kerala has argued that the dam having outlived its life of 50 years is unsafe to maintain water at 46.3 metres the full reservoir level and it should be restricted to 41.45 metres.
In 1979, the Central Water Commission (cwc) the premier government agency dealing with dam safety was asked to look into the matter; it suggested reduction of water level to 41.45 metres. Tamil Nadu agreed to this limit.
Another committee headed by the then cwc chairperson B K Mittal appointed in 2001 stated that the reservoir level be raised to 43.28 metres. The government of Tamil Nadu has proposed an increase in the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 136 feet to 142 feet. The Kerala government has opposed this move, citing safety concerns.
In October 2009, the Chief Minister of Kerala V.S. Achuthanandan requested Tamil Nadu to be in agreement with its demand for a new dam at Mullaperiyar as the present one had become obsolete. But the beginning of 2010 saw Tamil Nadu once again rejecting the idea of constructing the new dam over the Periyar River.
Supreme Court appointed Empowered Committee
In Feb 2010, the Chief Minister of Kerala applauded the Supreme Court ruling demanding a review of the safety aspect of the Mullaperiyar. The Supreme Court appointed former chief justice of India A.S. Anand as the chairperson of a techno-legal panel formed to examine the strength and capacity of the more than a century old Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala. The Bench made it clear to Tamil Nadu that it should maintain the water level at 136 ft.
The scanning of upstream side of the Mullaperiyar dam using a remote operated vehicle by the Central Soil and Materials Research Station on directions from the Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court had found serious damage to the masonry structure between 95 to 106 feet from the base of the dam. The dam had undergone a crushing on account of the additional load of nearly 21.75 tons per feet applied on the top of the dam in the form of RCC capping as part of emergency strengthening measure.
Formation of NDMA’s expert panel postponed
Budging to Tamil Nadu’s pressure, the Centre has kept in abeyance the National Disaster Management Authority’s decision to form an expert panel to prepare a contingency plan on Mullaperiyar dam, till the Supreme Court appointed Empowered Committee submits its report. The Kerala government has strongly objected to this decision.
Impacts of the controversy
The ongoing protests in the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border over the Mullaperiyar Dam issue has hit the tourism sector hard with tour operators and hotels reporting cancellations in the range of 70 to 80 per cent during a period that is supposed to be the peak tourism season. The impact of current drop in tourist's inflow was being felt not only by hotels but thousands dependent on the tourism sector such as auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, guides and artisans who sell handicrafts. The tourism sector stake holders said that these concerns would also be felt acutely in Kerala which, in 2010 alone, received more than six lakh foreign tourists and earned Rs. 37.97 billion in foreign exchange.
History of the controversy
Mullaperiyar Dam is constructed over the source of the Periyar River in Kerala, India. During the rule of the British in India a 999-year lease was made and accordingly, the Government of Tamil Nadu has been operating the dam.
The dam’s purpose was to divert the waters of the west-flowing Periyar River eastwards, since it caused widespread floods in the Travancore region, by way of a tunnel across the watershed and the Western Ghats to the rain shadow region of the Theni Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu. Water is brought through a 1.6 km long tunnel till the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and then flows through open canals to Churuliyar river which feeds the Vaigai dam in Tamil Nadu.
Since 1970, Kerala has argued that the dam having outlived its life of 50 years is unsafe to maintain water at 46.3 metres the full reservoir level and it should be restricted to 41.45 metres.
In 1979, the Central Water Commission (cwc) the premier government agency dealing with dam safety was asked to look into the matter; it suggested reduction of water level to 41.45 metres. Tamil Nadu agreed to this limit.
Another committee headed by the then cwc chairperson B K Mittal appointed in 2001 stated that the reservoir level be raised to 43.28 metres. The government of Tamil Nadu has proposed an increase in the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 136 feet to 142 feet. The Kerala government has opposed this move, citing safety concerns.
In October 2009, the Chief Minister of Kerala V.S. Achuthanandan requested Tamil Nadu to be in agreement with its demand for a new dam at Mullaperiyar as the present one had become obsolete. But the beginning of 2010 saw Tamil Nadu once again rejecting the idea of constructing the new dam over the Periyar River.
Supreme Court appointed Empowered Committee
In Feb 2010, the Chief Minister of Kerala applauded the Supreme Court ruling demanding a review of the safety aspect of the Mullaperiyar. The Supreme Court appointed former chief justice of India A.S. Anand as the chairperson of a techno-legal panel formed to examine the strength and capacity of the more than a century old Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala. The Bench made it clear to Tamil Nadu that it should maintain the water level at 136 ft.
The scanning of upstream side of the Mullaperiyar dam using a remote operated vehicle by the Central Soil and Materials Research Station on directions from the Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court had found serious damage to the masonry structure between 95 to 106 feet from the base of the dam. The dam had undergone a crushing on account of the additional load of nearly 21.75 tons per feet applied on the top of the dam in the form of RCC capping as part of emergency strengthening measure.
Formation of NDMA’s expert panel postponed
Budging to Tamil Nadu’s pressure, the Centre has kept in abeyance the National Disaster Management Authority’s decision to form an expert panel to prepare a contingency plan on Mullaperiyar dam, till the Supreme Court appointed Empowered Committee submits its report. The Kerala government has strongly objected to this decision.
Impacts of the controversy
The ongoing protests in the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border over the Mullaperiyar Dam issue has hit the tourism sector hard with tour operators and hotels reporting cancellations in the range of 70 to 80 per cent during a period that is supposed to be the peak tourism season. The impact of current drop in tourist's inflow was being felt not only by hotels but thousands dependent on the tourism sector such as auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, guides and artisans who sell handicrafts. The tourism sector stake holders said that these concerns would also be felt acutely in Kerala which, in 2010 alone, received more than six lakh foreign tourists and earned Rs. 37.97 billion in foreign exchange.
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