The Mullaperiyar dam debate - An issue of safety versus rights

In 1895 the construction of Mullaperiyar masonry gravity dam was completed across Periyar river in Kerala state of India. During the rule of the British in India, a 999-year lease was made, between the Maharajah of Travancore and the Secretary of State for Madras, which provided the British the rights over “all the waters” of the Mullaperiyar and its catchments, for an annual rent of Rs. 40,000. About 60,000 hectares in Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, and Dindigul districts in present day Tamil Nadu were intended as beneficiaries of irrigation waters from Mullaperiyar. The dam was made of lime and surki with its total cost estimated at Rs.8.471 million. The full reservoir level of the dam is 152 ft with capacity of 10.56 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft).

The dam’s reservoir level is the bone of contention between the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments. Since 1970, Kerala has argued that the dam having outlived its life of 50 years is unsafe to maintain water at 46.3 metres—the full reservoir level—and it should be restricted to 41.45 metres.
The government of Tamil Nadu has proposed an increase in the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 136 feet to 142 feet. The Kerala government has opposed this move, citing safety concerns for the more than hundred year old bridge and especially for the thickly populated districts downstream.
The Kerala government, however, argues that the gross area irrigated by the Mullaperiyar reservoir actually increased from 24,280 ha in 1896 to 69,200 ha in 1970-71 (when the water level was 46.3 metres) to 92,670 ha in 1994-95 (when water level was reduced to 41.45 metres). But Tamil Nadu claims that this is due to the modernisation of Periyar-Vaigai project, which reduced seepage losses by 6.7 thousand million cubic feet.
If the dam breaches, Tamilnadu will not be affected and only the cities and public of Kerala will be affected, although , the Tamilnadu will loose available water for its many districts for irrigation and power.
Kerala proposes a new dam downstream of present dam, to which Tamilnadu does not agree saying old dam is safe. Tamilnadu wants that full reservoir level in the dam be kept at 142, while Kerala wants it to restrict to 136 feet to avoid the possibility of dam break.

Any agreement between the two parties should create a win win situation for both the parties. Here Tamilnadu wants the benefit of irrigating more than 60,000 hectare land without caring for the opinion of Kerala government (which is of the opinion that the dam will not be able to withstand an earthquake of the magnitude of six on the Richter scale at higher water levels if the epicentre of the earthquake is near the dam) , in the name of agreement made during British rule in India. Tamilnadu does not agree for construction of new dam 14 km downstream of present dam or reducing the maximum water level in dam to 136 feet above river bed level.

It is the right of Kerala government to ensure the safety of its people and to avoid any slight chances of Mullaperiyar dam break. At the same time Tamilnadu government is worried about the welfare of its farmers for irrigating their fields. However I feel the whole problem is a technical problem, for which technical solutions are to be searched instead of taking the matter to the public. The best way is that the governments of the Kerala state and Tamilnadu should make a joint panel of renowned experts and find a technical solution of the problem, for which at present no state is considering. The problem has to be solved amicably with the spirit of give and take, to create a win win situation for both the states.

Dear Yogesh,

Thank you for the excellent summary and analysis of the Mullaperiyar dam debate. I was also wondering can you expound on the controversial issue of interlinking of India's rivers and also the re-routing of the Holy River Ganges to urban centers?

Thank you

Dear Stella,

I just read your posting today. I will like to write on controversial issues of interlinking of India's rivers and also the re-routing of the Holy River Ganges to urban centers.

Thanking you

Yogesh

Dear Yogesh,

Thank you. Will certainly look forward to reading your thoughts on these topics.

With best wishes,
Stella