CHENNAI/MADURAI : Tamil Nadu increased the discharge from the Mullaiperiyar Dam on Wednesday after the Kerala Chief Minister Pinayarayi Vijayan wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on the matter. The dam, located in Kerala, but owned and operated by Tamil Nadu reached 142 feet on Wednesday, which is the maximum level of water that can be stored as per the Supreme Court order. Vijayan on Wednesday had written to his Tamil Nadu counterpart seeking his intervention to to reduce the water level in the dam in Idukki district to 139 feet.
Vijayan charged that the Tamil Nadu engineers in charge of the dam were not cooperating with Kerala on this matter. Further, he noted that the catchment areas of the dam were continuing to receive heavy rainfall. The water level in the dam, now at 142 feet, had to be regulated taking into account the safety of the structure. Moreover, abrupt release of water from the 142-level mark would lead to large-scale destruction in the downstream areas, he said. Kerala also raised the issue with the Union Home Ministry.
Public Works Department officials in Chennai had first told Express that there was no question of reduction in water level and claimed that they had received no communication requesting them to do so. “We will maintain the water level at 142 feet. So far, no one has contacted the Tamil Nadu government on this. We will convey our stand if contacted,” senior officials said on Wednesday evening.
However, later in the evening, Theni district officials told Express that they had received oral instructions to reduce the water level and had subsequently increased the discharge of water from the dam.
Although the Supreme Court had permitted Tamil Nadu to raise the water level up to 152 feet, the State government has been unable to complete strengthening works on the dam as Kerala continues to oppose any moves to do so despite the apex court’s final verdict. The Supreme Court had permitted raising of the level of water till 142 feet and, on completion of the strengthening works, to up to 152 feet.