THENI: A sub-monitoring committee for monitoring the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam confirmed that the dam remains structurally strong as the seepage water level was found to be proportional to the present water level.
The committee led by South Regional Director of the National Dam Safety Authority, R Giridharan, on Friday inspected the dam after a gap of five months.
During the inspection, officials examined water inflow, seepage water level, functioning of shutters, seismic instruments and gallery areas of the dam. Later, a review meeting was held at the supervisory committee office in Kumily in Kerala.
Officials discussed routine maintenance works to be carried out in the dam area, strengthening works at the Baby Dam and delays in road repair works from Vallakkadavu to the Mullaperiyar Dam.
Speaking to reporters later, Tamil Nadu officials said that the functioning of shutters 3, 4 and 6 among the 13 shutters was tested and found satisfactory. They added that the seepage water level was recorded at 10.76 litres per minute, which was in line with the current water level of 111.50 feet, indicating that the dam is strong and stable. The inspection report would be submitted to the higher-level committee, they added.
Meanwhile, reporters from both Tamil Nadu and Kerala were denied permission to accompany the inspection team inside the dam area. Though media personnel were usually allowed during such inspections in the past, Kerala Forest Department officials stopped reporters at the entrance of the Thekkady boat jetty on Friday morning citing restrictions.
Following intervention by Tamil Nadu officials and discussions with higher authorities, journalists were permitted only up to the boat jetty for taking photographs. The issue reportedly delayed the inspection team's departure by nearly half an hour.
The supervisory committee for monitoring the Mullaperiyar Dam, functioning under the National Dam Safety Authority, is headed by Anil Jain. To assist the panel, a sub-monitoring committee headed by Giridharan has been constituted recently.
The committee included Periyar-Vaigai Basin Monitoring Engineer Sam Irwin and Periyar Dam Special Division Executive Engineer Selvam from Tamil Nadu, while Supervising Engineer Koshi of the Central Circle Irrigation Division, Ernakulam, and Assistant Executive Engineer Levins Babu of the Kattappana Irrigation Sub-Division represented Kerala.
The committee, which had last inspected the dam on December 15, 2025, revisited the site on Friday. The team travelled from the Thekkady boat jetty to the dam area in a boat of the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department and later inspected the Mullaperiyar Dam, Baby Dam and earthen dam areas along with Kerala officials.