5-member panel to inspect health of century-old Mullaiperiyar dam in June 2024

CHENNAI: Amidst the ongoing tussle between the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments over the Mullaiperiyar dam row, a five-member supervisor committee that was constituted by the Supreme Court would conduct a two-day inspection in the second week of June to look into the stability and health parameters of the reservoir.

The inspection of the committee, which conducts three to six inspections a year, follows closely on the heels of the Kerala government’s move to seek the Centre’s approval to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study to construct a new Mullaiperiyar dam.

It triggered a series of protests and prompted Chief Minister MK Stalin to write to the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) not to entertain the Kerala government’s initiative. He termed the Kerala government’s move as a violation of the Supreme Court’s verdicts.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu Water Resource Department confirmed the inspection by the five-member committee on June 13 and 14. The committee is headed by the Executive Engineer of the Central Water Commission’s South West Rivers Division, while the Superintending Engineer and Assistant Executive Engineer of (Mullaiperiyar dam) from TNWRD and an equal number of officials from Kerala would be members of the committee.

The committee would look into the health parameters of the century-old reservoir such as the efficacy of spillway shutters and the physical distress of the structure. They would also look at whether there are seepages and inspect the baby dam, earthen dam, and other safety mechanisms.

“After the inspections, the committee will hold a meeting to discuss various aspects of the dam safety,” said the official and noted that the committee is the ‘eyes and ears’ of the SC.

It is mandated for the committee to inspect before, during, and after monsoon to guarantee the stability of the reservoir. The committee held a similar inspection in mid-March last year.

Though it’s a routine inspection, the time of the inspection has gained significance as the Kerala government approached the MoEF&CC and raised doubts over the stability of the reservoir.

Following strong protest, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) called off a meeting scheduled on Tuesday (May 28). “We learnt that the EAC had advised the Kerala government to seek the consent of lower riparian (TN) states before taking any initiative regarding the Mullaiperiyar Dam,” said the official.