Mullaperiyar row: Kerala moves Supreme Court against TN

Seeks directive to give notice at least 24 hours before opening spillway shutters of dam, especially during night
Mullaperiyar dam brimming with water. (File Photo | Shiyami)
Mullaperiyar dam brimming with water. (File Photo | Shiyami)

KOCHI: The Kerala government has submitted a special application before the Supreme Court seeking a directive to Tamil Nadu to provide information to the state at least 24 hours before opening the spillway shutters of Mullaperiyar dam, especially during night.

In the application, Kerala’s standing counsel G Prakash said heavy flow from the dam was causing inundation of downstream areas and damage to property owned by people living on the banks of the Periyar river. He further pleaded that Tamil Nadu  should be told to ensure a steady release of water from the dam during day and night.

Kerala urged the court to constitute a joint technical onsite committee for spillway release, comprising two members each from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, to decide on the quantity and time of surplus discharge through the spillway. Tamil Nadu should be directed to ensure that water is released only based on the recommendation of this committee and after giving sufficient warning to the district disaster management authority in Idukki.

Kerala pointed out that the catchment areas of Mullaperiyar dam had been receiving heavy rainfall from the last week of November, which resulted in a steep increase of water level in the dam. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to Tamil Nadu’s M K Stalin on December 2, urging the latter to take steps to avoid release of water during night time, which was causing insecurity among the people living in downstream areas.

Additional chief secretary T K Jose had written to Supervisory Committee chairman Gulshan Raj on December 3, a day after the Idukki district collector wrote to his counterpart in Theni seeking to ensure that water should not be released without giving six hours’ time to the district administration. On December 7, Chief Secretary V P Joy also sent a letter to the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, explaining the difficulties of people living on  banks of the Periyar due to the sudden discharge of water. Kerala also produced  photographs of the damage caused to houses and property. The Supreme Court has listed the case for hearing on December 10.

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