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Updated October 28th, 2021 at 17:47 IST

Supreme Court orders Mullaperiyar Dam's water levels to be maintained at 139.5 feet

The apex court has directed both the state governments to negotiate and keep the water level in Mullaperiyar at 139.5 feet till November 10

Reported by: Aakansha Tandon
Supreme Court
PTI | Image:self
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In a key development on Wednesday, the Supreme Court had directed that the water level of the Mullaperiyar dam should be maintained to 139.5 feet. The apex court has directed both Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments to negotiate and keep the water level in Mullaperiyar at 139.5 feet till November 10, as Kerala government argued that the dam could fill up under heavy lashes of rainfall predicted in the state.

SC orders to maintain water at 139.5 feet in Mullaperiyar Dam

This comes after the officials from both states attended meetings to discuss the matter on Tuesday, after the Supreme Court ordered Kerala and Tamil Nadu to communicate properly with each other and the supervisory committee in regards to the maximum water level at the Mullaperiyar dam.

Apart from this, the Tamil Nadu government informed Kerala on Wednesday that the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam was 137.60 feet as of Wednesday, and that it was pulling the "maximum quantity" of water requested by the latter. Chief Minister M K Stalin responded to a letter from his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday by saying that the current water level was well within the storage level and in compliance with the upper rule levels established by the Central Water Commission (CWC).

"With reference to Mullai Periyar Dam, we are monitoring the water level closely and the officials from our side are in constant touch with your team. The water level as of today (27.10.2021) at 9.00 am is 137.60 feet, with an inflow of 2300 cusecs,” Tamil Nadu CM said in the letter.

"We are already drawing the maximum quantity of water through the tunnel in Vaigai dam, as requested in your letter. Currently, 2,300 cusecs of water are being drawn through the tunnel to Vaigai basin since 8.00 am today," Stalin said in an official communication to Vijayan, PTI reported.

Vijayan had already written to Stalin, demanding that the greatest amount of water should be extracted from the dam, since the reservoir level could exceed 142 feet if the severe rains in Kerala intensified. Since a tropical depression is predicted to emerge over the Bay of Bengal and a cyclonic circulation is expected over the Arabian Sea. Thus, Kerala advised Tamil Nadu on Sunday to draw the maximum amount of water from the dam into its Vaigai dam.  The state later filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Monday.

Meanwhile, based on two previous Supreme Court judgments, Tamil Nadu's attorney claimed before the court that the state had the right to store water up to 142 feet.

With Agency inputs

Image: PTI

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Published October 28th, 2021 at 17:47 IST

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