Mullaperiyar: Is Government Planning To Build New Dam In Place Of Old (Photo @Facebook Roshy Augustine)
As Kerala consistently pushes the central government for the construction of a new dam at Mullaperiyar in Idukki due to the people’s increasing concerns over the safety of the 128-old dam, the Union Government today said that there is no proposal under consideration to build a new dam.
The Ministry of Water Resource was responding to a query from Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose asking if the government proposes to approve funds to construct a new dam in the place of the old dam. He also asked the Centre if it initiate a discussion between Kerala and Tamil Nadu for the project.
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For the past several years, the dam has been causing fear to people living in four districts including Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, especially during monsoon. Notably, in 2021 a study by the United Nations disclosed that the dam has outlived its life, pushing it to the risk of potential failure. “If at all any failure occurs in the dam around 3.5 million people would be affected,” the study noted, adding that the dam, built in 1895, is situated in a landslide-prone area.
To a query regarding the conduct of a study and safety audit on Mullaperiyar Dam, amid concerns of potential failure, the Ministry responded, “The responsibility of the safety audit of dams lies with the owners of the dam that is State governments, PSUs etc,” noting that the owner of the dam is Tamil Nadu which conducts Pre and Post monsoon inspections of this dam every year.
The Minister also highlighted that the Supervisory Committee of this dam headed by the Chief Engineer Dam Safety Organisation, Central Water Commission and members from the State of Tamil Nadu and Kerala on June 13 this year inspected the dam. “This committee observed that the overall condition of the dam and its appurtenant structures, as revealed by visually observed inspection were found to be satisfactory,” the ministry informed.
On dam safety audit, the Ministry said that a specific dam owner has to conduct a comprehensive dam safety evaluation within five years as per section 38 of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, adding that the matter of safety audit of the dam was deliberated in the meeting of the Supervisory Committee held on June 13.
