Guidelines necessary to ensure strength of Mullaperiyar Dam: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday said certain directions may be required to ensure the strength of the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala following concerns over its safety and structural stability.

The top court issued notice to the Centre, Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments as well as the NDMA on a PIL filed by NGO Save Kerala Brigade seeking closure of the old dam and construction of a new dam in place of the existing dam.

“Certain directions may be required to strengthen the existing dam,” a bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said. And suggested that the matter should be examined by an expert body to assess the safety aspects and feasibility of building the new structure.

Mullaperiyar Dam, built in 1895 on the Periyar River in Idukki district of Kerala, is operated by Tamil Nadu under a lease agreement.

It has long been a point of contention, with Kerala citing safety concerns due to its age and seismic susceptibility and Tamil Nadu emphasizing its importance for supplying irrigation and drinking water to several southern districts.

“This is one of the oldest dams,” the CJI said when senior lawyer V Giri, appearing for the petitioner, said the old dam poses a serious threat to the life and property of about 10 million people living downstream in Kerala and urged that the court direct construction of a new dam to ensure public safety.

He said the current dam would have to be closed and “simultaneously constructed another dam… Only my lord can intervene, there is no other way to do it. No one will be discriminated against.” The petition seeks court directions to have the dam evaluated by experts and to shut down its operations and reconstruct it.

It said the operation of the dam could pose a threat to life and the environment around it due to severe climate change, extreme floods and its location in a high-intensity seismic zone.

The petition seeks a court-monitored multidisciplinary expert inspection of the Mullaperiyar Dam involving national and international experts.

It also calls for reduction of the reservoir level as an interim safety measure. Further, instructions have also been sought to prepare a detailed dam safety reassessment and decommissioning or reconstruction plan, if necessary.

The PIL has named the Centre, Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments and the National Disaster Management Authority as respondents.