THENI: A three-member supervisory committee of Mullai Periyar dam led by its chairman and Chief Engineer to Central Water Commission, New Delhi, Gulsanraj, on Saturday, inspected the dam in Thekkadi on Saturday to assess its stability.
Following the recent rains, the water level in the dam has risen to 134.25 feet. Earlier, the Supreme Court had said that water could be stored up to 142 feet in the dam.The visit of the three-member supervisory committee led by Gulsanraj, chairman of the committee and S K.Prabakar, Principal Secretary to Public Works department, TamilNadu and Tinku Biswal, Secretary to Water Resource department, Kerala follows the visit of the five-member monitoring committee on July 18.
The team inspected the main dam, baby dam, gallery and water seepage level before holding a discussion on various issues at the PWD office near the dam.The officials were accompanied by the five-member sub-committee chairman Rajesh, executive engineer, CWC and two members of Tamil Nadu state - Subramaniam, EE, PWD Madurai and Sam Irwin, SDO, PWD, Mullai Periyar dam and two Kerala state sub-committee members Soni, EE, Minor Irrigation and Praseeth, AE, Water Irrigation department, Kerala.
Sources said that the committee members did not visit the shutter areas.
Farmers association leaders including Senguttuvan, Thirupathi Vasahan and others came to the office to submit their petitions to the members of the three-member committee. However, they could not meet them as the meeting concluded before they reached the office.
There is no increase in seepage level in the dam, said Gulsanraj, chairman of three-member committee and added that the shutters are functioning properly and there is no problem in operation of the 13 shutters.
He also said that the two State governments should discuss the operation of the new boat, which was procured by Tamil Nadu government and has been left to float in Thekkadi waters.