'Decommission Mullaperiyar': Why The 125-Year-Old Dam Is Back In Focus After The Kerala Rains
A recent report by the United Nations University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health which said that Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala's Idukki District suffers from structural issues and the possibility of a dam-break cannot be ruled out.
An online battle is brewing in South India, between residents of Kerala and Tamil Nadu over the Mullaperiyar dam.
The Mullaperiyar Dam is an earthen gravity dam built by a British engineer called John Pennycuick between 1887-1895 in present-day Kerala.
Possibility of a dam-break cannot be ruled out
A recent report by the United Nations University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health which said that Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala's Idukki District suffers from structural issues and the possibility of a dam-break cannot be ruled out.
BCCL
The leakage in the dam is another cause of concern. The report also pointed out that the technology which was put into use for constructing the dam 125 years ago was obsolete compared to the sophisticated construction methods used now.
The report also said that in 2011, Idukki district experienced a series of tremors, and after the earthquake measured 3.5 on the Ritcher scale, the water level in the dam rose more than the general.
According to the report, 35 lakh people in Kerala will be directly hit in the case of a dam break.
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The dam, located in Kerala is operated by Tamil Nadu based on a 999-year lease agreement between the Madras Presidency and the King of Travancore. This contract continued even after independence and the dam, located inside Kerala is operated by Tamil Nadu.
The UN University report which surfaced just a few days after Kerala was hit by heavy rains and floods, in which Idukki was one of the worst-hit had people calling for the decommissioning of the dam, which is way past its life expectancy, which was 40 years.
War on social media
#DecommissionMullaperiyar has been trending on social media in Kerala for over a week now and despite the government's assurances on the safety of the dam, the appeal has refused to die down.
Regardless of what the facts and findings are or will be, there is no reason or excuse for this 125 year old dam to exist as a functioning structure! It¡¯s about time we put politics and economics aside and do what is right. ?#DecommisionMullaperiyarDam pic.twitter.com/vKqQNtBRmi
¡ª Prithviraj Sukumaran (@PrithviOfficial) October 24, 2021
Meanwhile on the other side in Tamil Nadu #SaveMullaperiyarDam and #AnnexeIdukkiWithTN have been trending.
Malayalees do you have a little conscience? If you can't save the Idukki Dam, leave it to TN. Depending on the dam, there are 5M farmers cultivate food and 50M Tamil people who use it. For you it's just a normal dam but for us it is the livelihood of the people#AnnexIdukkiWithTN https://t.co/L79waoofRF
¡ª Mohankumar Saraswathi (@MohankumarSaras) October 26, 2021
The two states have fought lengthy battles in the court and on social media over the Mullaperiyar dam.
Demand for a new dam
Kerala has been insisting on building a new dam, citing safety concerns, but Tamil Nadu is against it, saying the present structure was strong.
In Kerala, the fear is that the structure of the dam has been weakened and if it collapses lakhs of lives spread across five districts the state will be lost.
According to a 2009 study by seismic engineers at the Indian Institute of Technology, it might not withstand a strong earthquake larger than 6.5 on the Richter scale.
BCCL
The dam has a storage capacity of 156 ft, but it has been capped to 142 ft, due to safety concerns.
Increasing water levels
Currently, due to the continued rains in its catchment areas, the water level at Mullaperiyar is inching towards 138 ft.
Kerala government on Tuesday asked Tamil Nadu to maintain the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam at the 137 feet level.
Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, was of the view that water should be retained in the dam till the 142 feet level.
BCCL
On Sunday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin asking him to ensure that the maximum quantity of water is drawn from Mullaperiyar dam as the reservoir level may reach 142 ft once the torrential rains intensify.
He urged Stalin to release water from Mulla Periyar dam through the tunnel to Vaigal Dam and to gradually release water downstream.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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