Mullaperiyar Dam: Kerala wants High Power Committee to convene urgent meeting

Idukki: The Kerala government on Thursday said Tamil Nadu opened the shutters of the Mullaperiyar Dam and released water last night without proper intimation and precautionary warning and wanted the High Power Committee to convene its urgent meeting to discuss the matter.

State Water Resource Minister Roshy Augustine said the non-maintaining of the rule curve by the neighbouring state amounted to contempt of court and it would be brought before the attention of the apex court when the case is taken up next time.

Stating that people living downstream are suffering due to the sudden release of water in the night, he said the Kerala government is viewing the issue with utmost seriousness and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would take up the matter with Tamil Nadu at the earliest.

It was an expected action from the side of Tamil Nadu, which was against the interests of the people, he said.

"It is not right to release large scale water during night and the wee hours without proper warning...that is our stand. Instead of that, Tamil Nadu should release necessary amount of water during the day time after issuing a proper alert," Augustine told reporters here.

All the procedural violations by the neighbouring state would be brought before the apex court with proper evidence and data, the minister said, adding that the state wanted the High Power Committee to convene its urgent meeting to discuss the matter.

Ten shutters of Mullaperiyar dam were raised by 60 cm last night by Tamil Nadu when the water level reached 142 ft. Of this, seven were closed later.

Local people at Vallakkadavu here complained that water entered several houses when the dam shutters were opened and water released in the midnight.

Meanwhile, opposition Congress activists staged a protest sit-in and blocked the national highway in Kottayam-Kumali route, against the opening of dam shutters during night without any warning.

The party activists also took out a protest march to Vandiperiyar police station in this regard.

Tamil Nadu opened nine shutters of the century-old dam on Tuesday morning also after heavy rains in the catchment area of the reservoir.