Mullaperiyar Dam under TN jurisdiction, says State Water Resources Min Duraimurugan

The Water Resources Minister of Tamil Nadu Duraimurugan stated on Saturday that the Mullaperiyar Dam is completely within Tamil Nadu's jurisdiction and control. The minister further asserted that the dam is currently monitored, maintained, and administered by the state government. Duraimurugan made this announcement after some media articles on Saturday presented that the dam was under the jurisdiction of Kerala. 

Referring to a 2014 Supreme Court judgment affirming the 999-year lease between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Duraimurugan said, “There shall be no doubts. Mullaiperiyar dam is fully under the control of Tamil Nadu government. Some media reports portraying the reservoir as being under Kerala’s control are contrary to the truth,” the DT Next reported.  

Duraimurugan went on to say that depending on the precipitation level in the dam area as well as the inflow and outflow to Vaigai dam, the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department is taking appropriate efforts to retain water levels up to 142 feet as per the order of the apex court. 

TN Water Resources Min clarifies Mullaperiyar Dam under State's jurisdiction

Furthermore, the Minister stated pointing to the Supreme Court's October 28 ruling in a writ suit filed by one person that water was discharged from the reservoir by Tamil Nadu on October 28 morning as directed by the WRO zonal office in Madurai. He then said Kerala officials were notified beforehand about the discharging of water, as that is a customary protocol, and the Kerala Water Resource Minister and a few authorities were there when the dam's sliding gates were opened. 

Duraimurugan clarified that due to this activity, certain media outlets have stated that Kerala officials had opened the sliding or sluice gates. “It is very wrong,” Duraimurugan added. He further revealed that 500 cusecs had been discharged from the dam's two sluices on Friday, around 7.30 a.m. 

The Mullaiperiyar dam's gates were lifted considerably higher on Saturday morning as the level of water in the reservoir surged to 138.90 feet, according to authorities. Authorities stated that the three spillway shutters were lifted to a height of 70 cm apiece, and 1,675 cusecs of water were discharged to the river. 

Previously, Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine examined the reservoir location on Thursday amid concerns over the rising water level in Mullaperiyar Dam because of the heavy rainfall. The concern emerged following the India Meteorological Department (IMD) report which was issued on October 28, Thursday, that between the period of October 28 to November 1, heavy to severe rainfall alert was indicated for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.   

(Image: Durai murugan_Facebook/ PTI)