Mullaperiyar dam shutters raised further

 

Shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala, operated by Tamil Nadu, were raised further on Saturday morning as the water level in the reservoir rose to 138.90 ft, officials here said.

The three spillway shutters were raised to a height of 70 cm each and 1,675 cusecs of water was being released to downstream, they said.

Earlier in the day, Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine urged the Tamil Nadu authorities to draw more amount of water from the dam as their was no dip in the inflow. He also wanted the neighbouring state to maintain the water level as per the Central Water Commission-approved Rule Curve.

After the further raising of shutters, the minister told media that there was no need for any anxiety among those living in the catchment area of Periyar river. Even if they (Tamil Nadu) release four times more water than the present amount, it would not be a problem for Kerala, Augustine added.

Shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam were raised on Friday as the water level in the reservoir crossed 138 ft. Tamil Nadu government officials raised the spillway shutters 3 and 4 of the 126-year old dam by 0.3 metres around 7.30am.

Later at 9 PM, one more shutter of the dam was raised as the water level in the 126-year-old dam continued to rise.

Mullaperiyar dam, built-in 1895 on the Periyar river in Idukki district of Kerala, is operated by the Tamil Nadu government for its irrigation and power generation needs. Kerala is insisting on building a new dam, citing safety concerns, but Tamil Nadu is against it, saying the present structure is strong.