Tamil Nadu farmers happy, Kerala residents worried
Water level in Mullaiperiyar dam has crossed the 136 feet mark, a height over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala have for long been at loggerheads, citing safety reasons
Chennai: For the first time in 35 years, the water level in Mullaiperiyar dam has crossed the 136 feet mark, a height over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala have for long been at loggerheads, citing safety reasons. On Sunday, the water level stood at 137.2 ft with an inflow of over 2,900 cusecs as the catchment area received 2.2 cm of rain. Outflow was increased to 1,740 cusecs from 456 cusecs. “It will take at least 15 days for the water level to touch 142 ft if the inflow and outflow remain the same,” PWD sources said.
Even as farmers in the five districts of Tamil Nadu, which benefit from Mullaiperiyar water, greeted the rising water level with joy, people living downstream in Kerala expressed fear over the dam’s safety.Kerala chief secretary E.K. Bharat Bhushan who inspected the dam on Sunday said there is no need to panic over the water level and recalled that in 1943, the water level in the dam had touched 153 ft.
“There is no need to issue flood alert as the water level has only reached 137 ft. Besides, one of the two shutters which was not functioning properly has been repaired. We have asked Tamil Nadu to repair the other shutter also,” he said, assuaging the fears of the people living downstream. The Supreme Court-appointed, three-member, supervisory committee, visiting the dam on November 3, will take the call on water storage level, he added.
The chief secretary’s visit came in the wake of apprehension raised by the people living downstream in Idukki district over the rising water level of Mullaiperiyar. Mullaiperiyar action council chairman, Fr Joy Nirappel, has threatened to launch an agitation if the water level is raised beyond 136 ft and urged the Kerala government to intervene immediately to instil confidence in the people.
On May 7 this year, the Supreme Court had held that the 120-year-old dam was safe and allowed the Tamil Nadu government to raise the water level to 142 feet and ultimately to 152 feet after completing strengthening measures on the dam.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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