THENI: A five-member comprehensive dam safety evaluation committee (CDSEC) has been constituted to carry out a detailed inspection of the Mullaiperiyar dam. The committee will assess the structural condition and safety aspects of the dam at multiple levels and is supposed to submit its report in four months after inspection.
However, the inspection is subject to the approval of the CDSEC by both Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments, as Mullaiperiyar is an inter-state dam. The committee has been formed by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) under the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021. It will function under the direct supervision of NDSA Chairman Anil Jain.
An official from TN water resources department told TNIE, “Both the state governments need to accept the committee. After getting the nod from both, members will inspect the dam. The CDSEC will be headed by a former chairman of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). The committee will have a former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), a former managing director of NHPC, a former chairman of the Ganga Flood Control Commission under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and a former chief scientist of the Central Soil and Materials Research Centre, as its members.”
As Mullaiperiyar is a major inter-state dam, the NDSA has accorded it priority and constituted the committee to examine the technical aspects of the structure, he said, adding that similar committees will also be formed for the Athikadavu, Peruvarippalam and Aliyar dams. The CDSEC will conduct inspections once every 10 years. The TN government has sought clarifications from the NDSA regarding the CDSEC. After both governments are in agreement on the CDSEC, its members will convene a meeting and complete the inspection and submit their report to NDSA, the Supreme Court, and the governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.