New Delhi, December 2. The union government has expressed its inability to intervene in the issue of decommissioning of Muallpperiyar Dam in Kerala which is operated by Tamil Nadu. Commissioning or de-commissioning of dams owned by state governments is exclusively within the purview of the dam owning State, the minister of state for Jal Shakti, Bishweswar Tudu clarified in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
There is a report titled “Ageing Water Storage Infrastructure: An Emerging Global Risk” published in the 11th Series Report of United Nations University-Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). The said report has mentioned about certain safety concerns of the Mullaperiyar dam, conceded the minister.
The minister added that the different inspections carried out at the dam have dismissed possibilities of impending catastrophes. However, the minister didn’t say if any inspections were held after the UN report was published in January 2021.
The minister added, as per information available with Central Water Commission (CWC), in 1979 some distress condition was reported in the Mullaperiyar dam. Thereafter the CWC suggested certain categories of strengthening measures viz. emergency measures, short term measures and long term measures. The emergency and short term measures were completed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Safety issues of the Mullaperiyar dam have been examined and reviewed by various expert groups/committees in the past. The safety issues of this dam were examined under the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case Original Suit No. 3 of 2006 [State of Tamil Nadu versus State of Kerala & Anr.], through an Empowered Committee. The Empowered Committee concluded that the Mullaperiyar dam was safe in all respects, viz., hydrologically, structurally and seismically and this fact was taken cognizance of in the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s judgement dated 07.05.2014, said the minister.