THENI: As Mullaiperiyar dam is safe and strong, the Central Water Commission will consider increasing water level in the dam to 152 feet, said L A V Nathan, Chairman of three-member supervisory committee appointed by the Supreme Court, at Thekkady on Monday.
Addressing mediapersons after a meeting with the committee and other officials, Nathan, Chief Engineer, Central Water Commission, said that seepage level in the dam is within the permissible limits. He added that the Kerala government has come forward to give permission for transporting construction materials through Vallakadavu for strengthening the baby dam. However, some procedures have to be followed in strengthening the baby dam, he added.
He said that the Tamil Nadu government has obtained clearance from the Environment Ministry to start road works and for providing power supply to the dam site. As the road works would be carried out in Kerala forests, the hurdles in implementing the works were discussed in the meeting. He noted that maintenance works including repair works of dam parapet and pitching works on the top portion of the main dam would be carried out. The committee refused to comment on the demand for deploying CISF personnel in the dam site.
V.J.Kurien, Additional Chief Secretary, Kerala Water Resource Department and a member of the three-member committee, said that the Kerala government has requested the authorities concerned to reduce the water level to 136 feet for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, Sunil Jain, another official associated with the CWC, said that a daily newspaper from Kerala had erroneously published that the seepage level was very high in the dam.