Tamil Nadu farmers forum urge MoFE to reject Kerala govt's proposal to build new Mullaperiyar dam

CHENNAI: President of the Tamil Nadu All Farmers Organisation Coordination Committee P R Pandian on Tuesday petitioned the Chairman of the New Dam Construction Study Committee of the Department of Environment to turn down the Kerala government's proposal to take up environmental impact assessment (EIA) study for constructing a new Mullaperiyar Dam.

Pandian, in the petition, said that the Kerala government had prepared a draft plan for the construction of the new dam. It is in violation of the Supreme Court's verdicts and it would have an egregious impact in agriculture activities in Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts.

"Mullaperiyar Dam is the source of irrigation of water for about five lakh acres of cultivated land in six districts. It is also the source of drinking water for around two crore people in the state, " said Pandian and pointed out the SC's verdicts in 2013 that stated that 142 feet of the dam with a water capacity of 152 feet should immediately be stored for irrigation.

Moreover, after strengthening Baby Dam, Tamil Nadu was directed to store 152 feet of water.

The SC's inspection committee has conducted several inspections and asserted the stability of the reservoir and the Apex Court's verdict in 2022 endorsed the same. However, the Kerala government "refused to accept the SC order"

The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Forest Change has examined the Kerala government's proposal to take up EIA study for constructing a new dam and constituted a 11 member special committee, he said and continued that "if this dam built, the water resource rights of the entire TN will be lost" and it would affect farming activities in around 5 lakh acres of lands in southern district.

He urged the ministry to declare this scheme as "illegal and reject the application submitted by the Kerala Government".