KOCHI: The six-member independent panel of experts formed to carry out a comprehensive dam safety evaluation of the Mullaperiyar dam will visit the 130-year-old masonry gravity dam on Tuesday morning. The panel headed by former CMD of the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation Balraj Joshi has arrived at Thekkady and will proceed to Vallakadavu to start the evaluation around 8.30am.
The Supreme Court had directed to conduct a Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation to assess the hydrological, seismic and structural safety of the dam in its order dated April 8, 2022. An underwater evaluation to assess the structural integrity of the dam was conducted using a remotely operated vehicle in December 2025.
Prof M L Sharma of IIT Roorkee, retired special secretary of Odisha water resources department Ashutosh Dash, former executive director of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Gopal Dhawan, former chairman of Ganga Flood Control Commission and former scientist of Central Soil and Materials Research Station N Sivakumar are the members of the panel. Advisor to Kerala Government on Interstate Water Disputes James Wilson and irrigation chief engineer R Priyesh will represent the state during the four-day evaluation.
The safety evaluation gains significance in the backdrop of Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N Marie Wilson’s statement, while presenting the state budget that the state will pursue administrative and legal measures to raise the water storage in Mullaperiyar dam from 142 ft to 152 ft. Maintaining that the 130-year-old dam poses a threat to people living downstream, Kerala has been demanding that the existing dam should be decommissioned and replaced with a new dam.
Tamil Nadu has been demanding permission to strengthen the Baby Dam at Mullaperiyar while Kerala had been insisting that no strengthening work can be allowed before assessing the structural strength of the dam.
Kerala has insisted that the safety evaluation should be comprehensive and may approach the court if the norms are not followed. The panel has fixed a deliberation with Kerala authorities on Wednesday. The panel has been directed to submit the final report within four months.
