Supervisory panel gives clean chit to Mullaperiyar dam ahead of safety inspection

New Delhi/Idukki: Even as the stage is set for a comprehensive safety inspection of the Mullaperiyar Dam, the Supervisory Committee has reported that the dam apparently does not pose any threats.

The committee, led by Central Water Commission Chief Engineer Rakesh Kashyap, visited the dam on June 13. In the committee, Kerala is represented by Principal Secretary Ashok Kumar Singh and Interstate Water Chief Engineer R Priyesh, while Tamil Nadu is represented by Kaveri Cell Chairman Subramanyam and Additional Chief Secretary Sandeep Saxena.

According to the panel report, no one raised any significant issues concerning the dam. Inspections were conducted on the main dam, the baby dam, and the spillway. However, Kerala has consistently alleged that the Supervisory Committee fails to address its concerns while preparing its reports.

The Supervisory Committee conducts an annual inspection of the dam, with a sub-committee visiting the reservoir every three months to submit reports. The latest clean chit from the committee comes even as the Central Water Commission has called for a detailed safety inspection of the 129-year-old dam within the next 12 months. This directive was issued during a meeting of the Mullaperiyar Supervisory Committee, attended by both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

This safety review comes 12 years after a high-level committee, appointed by the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench, submitted its own safety report on the dam. The scope of the upcoming inspection will include structural safety, earthquake and flood resistance, and operational security. Kerala has demanded that the inspection process be clearly communicated beforehand.

MP calls for dam to be under Dam Safety Authority
MP Dean Kuriakose has announced plans to petition the Supreme Court to bring the Mullaperiyar Dam under the direct regulation of the National Dam Safety Authority, bypassing the Supervisory Committee.

According to him, the dam could come under the National Dam Safety Authority’s jurisdiction when it begins full-scale operations in October. The Dam Safety Act of 2021, passed by the Union Government, empowers the authority to oversee all aspects of the dam, including inspections, monitoring, and maintenance, which are currently handled by the Supervisory Committee.

Kerala has long argued that the masonry dam, built in 1895 over the Periyar River, is unsafe and continues to demand the decommissioning of the existing dam and the construction of a new one downstream. Tamil Nadu relies on the dam for irrigation purposes.