ഏറ്റവുംപുതിയവ

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Vayalar Ravi today slammed his colleague and Home Minister P Chidambaram for his remarks on the Mullaperiyar Dam, calling them as "unfortunate" and said they only showed his "political immaturity".

Ravi, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader from Kerala, said he was "disappointed" at Chidambaram for going against the views of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has called for peace between the two states on the issue.

"It is very unfortunate that Chidambaram made a statement. As a Home Minister he is not expected to make such statements. It only shows his political immaturity even though he was speaking at a Congress function," Ravi told reporters here.

He was responding to a question on Chidambaram's statement yesterday that Kerala's apprehension over safety of Mullaperiyar dam was "unnecessary" and linked it to "bypoll fear".

However, Chidambaram withdrew his remarks relating to bypoll this morning.

"I disagree with his (Chidambaram's) statement. G K Vasan (Shipping Minister) made a matured statement," Ravi said. Chidambaram and Vasan were addressing a Congress rally in Chennai yesterday.

Ravi said people expect Chidambaram to go along with the view of the Prime Minister on the issue.

"Unfortunately, Chidambaram's statement has contradicted the views of the Prime Minister on the issue. I, as a member of the Cabinet, feel very much disappointed over his remarks," the Minister said.

Ravi said being a senior leader and the Home Minister, Chidambaram should persuade Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to come to the negotiating table to settle the dam issue with Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram: Stepping up the campaign for a new dam at Mullaperiyar, state Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) chief KM Mani is observing a day-long fast at Chappath in Mullaperiyar today while his colleague and Water Resources Minister PJ Joseph is fasting in New Delhi.

With the dam issue continuing to dominate the government and the entire political spectrum in the state, a cabinet meeting is scheduled Thiruvananthapuram tonight to discuss the latest developments including hardening of position by Tamil Nadu.

The storm over certain submissions made by Advocate General KP Dandapani in the high court, which allegedly contradicted the state’s position in the dam issue, is also to be considered by the cabinet.

Opposition parties had stepped up the demand for Dandapani’s removal after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa referred to his submissions to reinforce the state’s case.

Jayalalithaa had on Sunday, in a second letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in less than a fortnight, had sought CISF deployment at the dam site to avoid any “man-made catastrophic consequences” in view of violent activities reported at the dam area in Kerala’s Idukki district.

She had also slammed “the orchestrated campaign of fear mongering carried on by Kerala government”, alleging that it had led to a situation “wherein the very security and safety of the dam is being deliberately threatened”.

The KPCC executive is also meeting in Thiruvananthapuram to discuss the issue and work out the way forward in the matter.

Speaking at the fast venue, 77-year-old Mani wanted Tamil Nadu to concede Kerala’s demand of lowering the dam’s water level to 120 feet as an immediate measure and wanted the Centre to step in to resolve the issue.

His colleague Joseph also started a day’s fast at Birla Mandir in New Delhi to mobilise support for the state cause.

The KPCC executive as well as the cabinet will be fine-tuning the government strategies at the all-party meeting called for Tuesday and the one-day assembly sitting on the dam issue on 9 December.

The government is already facing the opposition wrath over the AG issue. Senior CPM leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan today demanded that AG be asked to appear before the Assembly if he continued to be in that position when the House meets.

“We demand that AG be asked to appear before the House. It is a different matter if he is removed by the government before the House meets,” Balakrishnan told reporters.

The Mullaperiyar dam dispute has escalated following Kerala’s push for the construction of a new dam in place of the existing 116-year-old reservoir and Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the proposal.

Joining AIADMK in seeking CISF deployment at the site, its arch rival, DMK had also flayed Kerala’s attempts to “create fear and panic” in the minds of its people over the issue.

In a telegram to Justice AS Anand, Chairman of the Supreme Court Empowered Committee on Mullaperiyar, DMK chief M Karunanidhi had demanded that the apex court’s order of 2006, directing Kerala to increase water level from 136 ft to 142 ft “be implemented with immediate effect”.

Tamil Nadu has been pressing for increasing the level to 142 feet from 136 feet while Kerala wants the reservoir to be decommissioned. It has sought lowering the water level to 120 feet as an immediate measure in the wake of recent developments.

Mullaperiyar Dam - ‘Save Kerala’ social gathering at Kochi gets mass support

The constitution of India guarantees all citizens the right to live. But while the people sense insecurity what should they do? Should they keep mum or should they rise their voice? But what happens when the people themselves feel insecure?

Unresolved Mullaperiyar Dam issue connected to the two states again got the public attention. But this time the people of Kerala are more concerned about the dam as fresh tremors are being reported every day. Mild tremors which were felt in parts of Idukki and Kottayam cannot be ignored. The quakes have brought fear in the minds of people who are having sleepless nights from few months. From the recent studies Idukki had been considered to be a seismically active zone. As there forecast of more tremors (might be more severe), Mullaperiyar Dam would become a 'water bomb'. Facing a tough time, the public urge the government to take steps to make them believe that they feel secure.


Social media networks have played a huge role in uniting people and to bring social issues to the forefront. Active groups in Facebook which have come forward urging the government to take firm action to resolve the mullaperiyar issue is getting mass support. On 25th November 'Save Mullaperiyar' – 'Save Kerala' facebook group which initiated a social gathering at Marine drive in Kochi has proved to be a success, giving positive energy for the organizers to have more active programmes for really a good cause.


The candlelight vigil which started at 5.30 witnessed hundreds of youngsters flocking in to the place holding placards and reciting slogans ' Protect our right to live' 'Water for Tamilnadu, Security for Kerala' and much more. The social gathering was inaugurated by Justice V.R Krishnayyar. Hibi Eaden MLA also was present at the occasion. Giving full support to the Young bloods from Malayalam movie industry Reema Kallungal, Aju Varghese, Nevin Pauly also attend the gathering giving full support to the future programmes of the team.

The 'Save Kerala' which started their campaign through facebook is now getting huge support from people from around the globe. The team is planning of various programs aiming at convincing the people of the upcoming danger. Let this group of young blood keep moving forward with the slogan "Let us Live".

(This article has been written compiling the information collected from various sources. We have taken photos from different sources with out prior request only to make people aware about the problem connected with Mullaperiyar Dam. If this article misses any thing please share your views here. ) 

Mullaperiyar dam issue - Possible effects of a dam disaster

Lately the Mullaperiyar dam issue has been alarming the people of Kerala. While the common man in Kerala waits for a suitable solution to be taken by its government about the situation, the politicians are rather more interested in looking at their own gains from the issue. Read this article to know more about the Mullaperiyar dam, the reason for a dam disaster and the aftermath of the disaster.

The Mullaperiyar Dam issue has been in the news recently for some life-threatening reasons. When an integral part of a cultural state is on the verge of being demolished forever by natural forces, one can only imagine the plight of the people who could get involved in such a catastrophe. Here we are talking about none other than the state of Kerala which is known as 'God's own country' and is in a critical situation where the breakage of a dam can result in the non-existence of a major part of the state. The shocking factor is that such a disaster can very well be avoided if the neighbouring state called Tamil Nadu shows some humanity. Before getting into more details about the disaster that the Mullaperiyar dam can cause, let us look at some basics about the dam.


The Mullaperiyar dam is a gravity dam which was built between 1887 and 1895 during the time of British rule in India. The dam was erected at the meeting point of two major rivers namely Periyar and Mullaiyar, thus obtaining the name Mullaperiyar. The main reason for its construction by the British was to divert the abundance of the Periyar river water towards the state of Tamil Nadu. This decision was taken because Tamil Nadu was lacking enough water for its entire state and was depending on the Vaigai river which provides very less quantity of water for irrigation and drinking purposes. The speciality of Mullaperiyar dam is that it is the only prevailing gravity dam in the world which is made of lime stone and surkhi, which is a mixture of sugar and calcium oxide. At present, the dam's condition has been found to be very weak as it is already 116 years old and can break any minute ultimately flooding most parts of Kerala and resulting in the death of millions of innocent lives as well as the destruction of property and important buildings.

The interesting part about the Mullaperiyar dam is that though it is located within Kerala and is also completely owned by the state, the authority to operate the dam lies with the neighbouring state Tamil Nadu. This kind of agreement has eventually resulted in such a dilemma that one state has become totally dependant on the other's decision for the safety of its own people. The government of Tamil Nadu is not giving the permission to Kerala for reducing the level of water in the dam as they fear that they will get less water in such a situation. The dam is almost 116 years old now and has reached a level where it cannot withstand too much water anymore. The major concern is that the Mullaperiyar dam is situated on an earthquake prone zone and even a minor earthquake can result in the breakage of the dam. If such a disaster occurs, another alarming factor is that the water that would burst out from the dam will move towards the Idukki dam which could also break in case it cannot withstand all that water, the aftermath of which can be horrifying. The best solution for this problem is not in increasing the level of the dam which is already leaking in many parts. Building a new dam altogether is also not a good decision at present because this will take a lot of time. The only thing that can be done to prevent a disaster is to reduce the level of water that is present in the Mullaperiyar dam. While Kerala suggested the construction of a new dam, Tamil Nadu claims that this is just an excuse made by Kerala to acquire the complete operational authority over the Mullaperiyar dam.

What will be the aftermath of the failure of the Mullaperiyar dam? It can wash out four districts of the state of Kerala namely Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Idukki after which the state of Kerala itself will be divided into two different lands. This calamity will mean the death of more than 4 million people residing in Kerala. Other than this, it will also mean the end of a culture which will affect Kerala's tourism and ultimately the state's economy also. The entire state of Kerala will be filled with darkness as it depends completely on the Idukki hydro electric power plant for electricity. The amusing aspect is that in the event of the dam disaster, Tamil Nadu will not receive anymore water from the Periyar river for its irrigational and drinking purposes as the entire water would be washed away into the Arabian ocean. At present the case regarding this issue is circling within the supreme court and the politicians of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Everyone is looking at political and personal gains whereas no one is actually bothered about the human lives that are in danger. The whole issue shows that the phenomenon called humanity has disappeared from earth. 

The aftermath of Mullaperiyar disaster

The description of the likely consequences of Mullaperiyar dam collapse is given here. The Mullaperiyar issue does not affect Kerala or Tamil Nadu only. It will affect the entire South India in various ways. The country will have to pay for the carelessness. Read more details below.

Most of the people think that the Mullaperiyar dam collapse, if it happens, will only affect Kerala and some parts of Tamil Nadu. But the real case will be beyond the imagination. These are what can be happened to Kerala and South India if the Mullaperiyar Dam is left to collapse.

The Kerala state will loss almost one third of its land. The state will be divided into two geographical parts what will change the shape of India as well. The five districts of Kerala namely Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta will be washed away and it will also take some parts of Thrissur as well. Kochi, India's one of the most emerging cities and the industrial capital of Kerala, will become a history.

If Mullaperiyar breaks, the water will rush to the other small dams. That will cause the collapse of those dams and the situation become even worse. The water will wash away the paddy fields, factories, hospitals, churches, temples, mosques, shops, transportation, Kochi airport and many more. It is expected that more than 35 lakhs people will lose their lives. That is one tenth of the total population of Kerala. And immeasurable no of other living organisms including animals, birds and plants will be erased from earth. The flaura and fauna of these places includes many endangered species also. The balance of nature will get broken. Some of the most beautiful places and landscapes will not be there anymore. Agriculture, industries and all will be lost.

The water from Mullaperiyar will flow to Idukki dam with great speed. The high pressure might result in the damage of Idukki dam also. The Idukki hydro power plant might get disposed. That will lead Kerala to great power scarcity. There will have no electricity for months, maybe years. Kerala will fall into darkness. Television, Internet, Communication and all will get disposed.
More than five western districts of Tamil Nadu use the water from Mullaperiyar for irrigation, drinking and other purposes. If the dam collapses, there will be no water for these districts and it will lead the people to a terrible situation. The agriculture and life will be in trouble. The food production will be stopped, the prices of vegetables and food will rocket and inflation will be skyhigh rate.

The Kochi sea port will be erased from the world map forever. The Vallarpadam container terminal would become a history. The South Indian industry will have to depend on the nearest port, ie Colombo for the needs. That will raise the costs and will result in the increase in prices of the imported products. The major part of petroleum products for South India and a small part for other areas are refined in the Cochin Refineries. The refineries will get washed away, making TamilNadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh find other options for Petroleum refining. That will be more expensive, and naturally petroleum price will rise. It will affect the economy too.

The under water sea cable that connects India to rest of the world via Internet starts from Kochi. It is the only place with such facility now. If that gets damaged in the Mullaperiyar disaster, the IT network all over India, especially South India will get disrupted. The significant part of Routers that forwards data packets between computer networks, are placed at Kochi. The many routers and connectors of US company CISCO are at Kakkanad. Those all will get floated away in the water from Mullaperiyar. The internet connection from even metros like Bangalore, Chennai and other cities will not be possible then for months.
The disaster will be almost 200 times dreadful than Hiroshima disaster. The damage worth billions of billons Rupees will be done. The economy of the country will face huge danger.

All these facts are not just avoidable. Some of these facts are even unknown to many people. These data clearly indicate that the Mullaperiyar issue should not concern Kerala only. It is not just a matter of dispute between two states. It is a national affair and should be treated likewise. The anxiety should be alleviated by rebuilding the Mullaperiyar dam. 

Mullaperiyar Dam Issue in Kerala - Facts, Controversy and Disputes

History of Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala along with facts, disputes and controversy between Tamilnadu and Kerala is given here. Problems or disaster caused by the cracks or destruction of Mullaperiyar dam and Why the Mullaperiyar dam is not safe is analyzed here in detail. Latest news of Mullaperiyar dam issue and role of social networks like Facebook to save Kerala from the case of Mullaperiyar dam are also provided here.

Why the Mullaperiyar dam is not safe?

The main thing we have to consider when looking about the safeness of Mullaperiyar dam is its age. The dam's age become 115 in 2011 and is the one of the oldest dam in Kerala. A special fact which must be kept in mind that, no major reconstruction work has been done on the dam in this long 115 years. The next thing is the materials used for constructing the dam. The dam is purely built with stone and Surki where Surki is a mixture of sugar and calcium oxide. Amazing fact is that Mullaperiyar is the only existing dam in India which is made with Surki. All other dams are reconstructed by authorities for the sake of people but Mullaperiyar dam still remains as a danger to all Keralites.
There is no drainage gallery in Mullaperiyar dam. So the pressure due to the water will be high in Mullaperiyar dam. Mullaperiyar dam doesn't contain any construction blocks and it is arranged in a single block. This kind of architecture in Mullaperiyar dam will create wide spread of cracks in dams. Also there are several cracks in the Mullaperiyar dam due to the flowing of Surkey from dam. According to the authorized details 30.4 tones of surkey are losing from Mullaperiyar dam and it is estimated that about 1500 tones of Surkey have been lost from Mullaperiyar dam in 50 years. The leakage of dam was found in the starting stage itself. The first leakage was found in 1922 and then in 1928-35, 1961-65. The leak was temporarily closed by using cement.




No authorized earthquake study has done in Mullaperiyar so far. Recently some earthquakes in Idukki district has caused serious threat to dam. It is predicted that dam is situated in the earthquake region. Any mild earthquake can cause cracks in Mullaperiyar dam and if the crack is present inside the dam possibility of seeing the crack is rare. These cracks will become big in rainy season where the pressure of water will be high and may cause the destruction of dam. The lack of observing instruments adds the danger of Mullaperiyar dam. 


Usually "Dam break analysis" is done along with the construction of dam. This is an analysis done for predicting the possible destruction caused by the destruction of dams. The abstract of saving people from flood will be analyzed in this technique. In modern science this technique is done with the help of computer software Geographical Information System (GIS). But unfortunately no such study has never been conducted in the case of Mullaperiyar dam. 

Possible disaster caused by the destruction of Mullaperiyar dam

If Mullaperiyar dam get destroyed the world will be witnessing one of the major destruction. Heavy flood will occur in villages such as Vallakadavu, Vandiperiyar, Keerikkara, Mlamala, Chappathu, upputhara, Ayyappan Kovil, Irattiyar. These villages will almost sink in water. 


If the destruction occurs in rainy season then about 4430 lakh cubic meter of water will flow into the Idukki dam which is situated just 50 Km away from Mullaperiyar dam. Even though the Idukki dam is constructed for accommodating the water of Mullaperiyar, no-one can give promise that what will happen in Idukki dam with the destruction of Mullaperiyar dam. The capacity of Idukki dam is 1996.30 million cubic water. So with the heavy flow of soil and water into Idukki dam may cause the destruction of Idukki dam and may causes heavy flood in shores of entire Periyar river. The peoples in the districts like Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Alappuzha will be effected by the destruction of these dams. Also there is a danger of contaminated disease in these region. The biodiversity of Periyar wildlife sanctuary will be effected with the destruction of Mullaperiyar dam. Periyar wildlife sanctuary is a hot spot of many animals and plants. With the flood heavy destruction will be caused to these animal and plants resulting in the destruction of the biodiversity of entire forest.

Controversy between Tamilnadu and Kerala in the case of Mullaperiyar dam

Usually the dams are re-constructed after 60 years. The government will get the expense and huge profit from these years. Even though Mullaperiyar dam has reached the double age it still exists as a big danger for entire people in Kerala.


Actually Mullaperiyar dam was constructed based on the lease agreement in 1886 between Travancore Princely State and British Presidency of Madras which allow to divert water of Mullaperiyar to British Presidency of Madras (Now Tamil Nadu). The agreement was for 999 years. But after independence entire agreement become lapsed. The agreement was resigned in 1970 between Kerala government and Tamilnadu.


In 1979 Kerala government raised questions about the safeness of Mullaperiyar dam after a minor earthquake in Idukki. Also a state agency reported that the Mullaperiyar dam cannot withstand an earthquake with magnitude 6 on Richter scale. After several controversies Tamil Nadu government decided to reduce the storage level to 136 feet. After several repair Tamil Nadu suggested that storage level can be raised to full 152 feet.


Tamil Nadu main point which is used in Mullaperiyar controversies is the lack of water in Tamil Nadu. They argued that about 40,000 crores have been lost due to the destruction of crops between 1980 and 2005 which is the period when height of the dam was reduced to 136 feet. By the appeal of Tamil Nadu in 2006, Supreme Court allows Tamil Nadu to increase the storage level to 142 feet. But Kerala counter this by "Dam Safety Act". But the Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court and a notice was send to Kerala. Finally Supreme Court asked to settle the disputes between the states but the problems never end.


In the mean time Kerala thought about constructing a new dam and environment clearance was obtained from Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government in 2009 for conducting surveys. The survey was conducted and three spots were reported. Tamil Nadu tackled this by arguing that creation of new dam is a hidden agenda to keep dam with Kerala. 

Join Facebook movement Save Mullaperiyar Dam, Save Kerala Facebòòk Campaign

We know that Internet and social sharing websites have a very good influence in modern world. They play a good part in bringing social issues to public. "Save Mullaperiyar Dam, Save Kerala Facebòòk Campaign" is a Facebook page which has got a good support from all parts of the world. This group has also done 'Save Mullaperiyar' – 'Save Kerala' movement in Marine drive on a 25th November. If you want to support the movement login your Facebook account and join the group and be a part of Save Mullaperiyar dam movement. Also don't forget to use Facebook like andother social networking tools in the bottom of our page because by using these tools you can spread the knowledge of disaster caused by the destruction of Mullaperiyar dam and be a part of Save Kerala Save Mullaperiyar movement. 

‘Save Kerala - Mullaperiyar Dam’ SMS campaigns on facebook goes viral

‘Save Kerala, Build Mullaperiyar Dam, Save Mullaperiyar Dam SMS, Photos are going viral on facebook. Share with your friends and support the huge campaign.

It's now just a short break for the social media interested folks from passing funny jokes. But now they are really much involved in supporting 'Mullaperiyar' by sending messages, photos and even joining the campaigns which has even now given energy for the natives, even for the keralites who are living away from the land. The mass support for Mullaperiyar is going viral over the social media networks, especially on facebook and twitter. Some SMSs and photos are really heart breaking, while some are of blaming the TN government and also about the strange decisions of movie stars keeping their mouth shut about this issue.

'Tintu Mon Fans Association India' is a fans page created with around 35,000 likes which stick on passing creative jokes for quite a few years. But now this group too has joined the campaign by passing creative photos and SMS which are motivating the younger generation to support the mass campaign. 'IHP' is also another top hit facebook page among the young Kerala which already has around 29,000 fans. Few weeks back the administrators had urged the members to join the 'Save Mullaperiyar Dam' which had gone viral making many to join the campaign.

'Save Mullaperiyar', 'Save Kerala' is the most active page in Facebook with 14,ooo likes, which had been in front which even had taken initiative to arrange a campaign in Kochi. 'Strikers and Crew' also another group with 15,000 members also kept their voice high regarding the Mullaperiyar Issue.


There are few groups in facebook which has come forward to make the young generation of Kerala more aware about the dangerous situations. The mighty educated Keralites are really on the war to save the lifeof 40 lakh people. Evoked by the face book messages hundreds of youth has shown their presence by visiting the people who are fasting for months to get the problem solved in an amicable manner.

Here are some of the SMSs which are being passed from mobile to mobile in support of the Mullaperiyar.

1. MULLAPERIYAR!! the oldest gravity dam built on 1896 is still running even aftr its expiry date of 50 year; i.e. 63 extra years!now its on the verge of explosion n if tht happens it'll be the biggest disaster in the wrld history. 45 lakh people in mid kerala wud flow dwn the arabian sea within mins.since our leaders seem to be unaware n ignorant abt it,be ready to face a tragedy which will ruin the better part of God's Own Country 4evr!!

2. 'Blood is thicker than water. So let's put our hands 2gether 2 save Mullaperiyar, 2 save Kerala!'

3. 'Save Mullaperiyar!!! We can't hold any of our patience.'

Mighty thoughts! Does it make you think? Then it is the right time. Do share.

NB: We have uploaded few photos and SMSs shared by our friends in facebook. All the credits goes to those who have designed and created it. 

Dam Song - A Song dedicated to Mullaperiyar in the tune of Kolaveri di

Four youngsters from Thrissur have come up with a song dedicated to the Mullaperiyar issue titled as 'Dam Song'. The noted point is that this song is an imitation of the hit song Kolaveri di by Dhanush. The new Dam song shares the anxiety of Keralites on Mullaperiyar. Read more below.

The agitation for the Mullaperiyar dam is acquiring new dimensions. The latest of it is a song for Mullaperiyar. This is not a usual song, but an imitation of another one. The One that became an instant hit in not just India, but all over the world. Yes, it is the KOLAVERI song by Dhanush. The Kolaveri song which rendered in 'Tanglish' has now crossed a whooping 1 crore views in Youtube in just two weeks.

It is that unprecedented success that made 4 youngsters from Thrissur to respond in the Mullaperiyar issue in the same way.

Athul Vishnu, Arun, Francis and Jithin Joseph are the brains behind the idea. They are the 3rd year Economics students of St. Thomas College, Thrissur. The thought of presenting social issues through music is what led them to this creation. They had been searching for a suitable song when they come across Kolaveri'. Athul Vishnu is the lyricist. The lyrics has been inserted into the filtered tune of 'Kolaveri'. The lyrics was posted in the Save Mullaperiyar Powerful Kerala named website. A few changes were made in the lyrics according to the feedbacks by over 3000 people.

The song is named 'DAM SONG'. It starts addressing all the Keralites. The age, leak and forthcoming tragedy all come in the lines of the son. The group has decided to present the song in various places of protests for Mullaperiyar. They also plan road shows all over the state with the song.

The song has already been uploaded to Youtube and is getting good responses. The four-men army believe the people, especially the youth, will take up this song. Let us hope this song will add more power to our protests on the Mullaperiyar dam.

Lyrics of the DAM song

Yo Kerala am singing for you
Dam song
Crack song
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
People listen..
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Fight for this..
Why this dam like this ?
Total damu onnu ettu
In that one crack
Crack dam blastu blastu
Kerala fullu water
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Why this government like this ?
House fulla wateru
Cracku cracku leaku leaku
My future darku
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Leaders decision eduku please
Allenkil Keralam full wateru
Wa wa waaat waa wawa waaa
Mullaperiyar eh..
Powerful Kerala ready
ready 1 2 3 4
Damlu cracku
Crackilu leaku
State fulla wateru..
Empty house
Wateru come-u
House fullaa gone-u
Oh, my godu
We gonna die-u
How you ? There nowu
Tamil Nadu
Happy Happy
We goodbye..
I want to escape nowu..
This song for Kerala people
We dont have choice-u
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ?
Why this dam crack issue is coming like these ? 

Mullaperiyar dam is constructed over the Periyar river in Kerala. The construction of the dam began in 1887 and was opened in 1895. The dam is fully located in Kerala state. But it is operated by the Tamil Nadu government, based on an agreement (999 lease agreement) prepared during the British period. The controversies of the Mullaperiyar dam issue continues and the main tragedy is that the life of many human are in danger.

History of Mullaperiyar dam

Mullaperiyar dam is constructed over the Periyar river in Idukki district of Kerala. Mullaperiyar is a masonry gravity dam made with lime stone and surkhi. The construction of the dam was started in 1887 and it was opened in 1895 after construction. The Mullaperiyar dam has the height of 53.6 meter and length of 365.7 meter. The idea of the dam was according to the 999 years of lease agreement between the Travancore Maharaja Vishakam Thirunal and Secretary of state for India for Periyar irrigation works. The 999 lease agreement was signed by Dewan of Travancore V. Ram Iyengar and J. C. Hannigton, the state secretary of Madras state under the British rule. According to the agreement the Mullaperiyar dam is operated by the Tamil Nadu government, even the dam is fully located in Kerala. In the year 1970 the renewal of the agreement allows Tamil Nadu to generate power from the Mullaperiyar dam water. After the independence while the partition of the states the controversies also originate. Now the troubles and controversies in the peak stage because the damage of the dam affects the life of human life and the flora and fauna of the Periyar National park. After an earth quake occurs in 1979 Kerala government raised some safety concerns. The earthquake results cracks and leaks in the Mullaperiyar dam. The 116 years old dam's will wash out the thickly populated region under the dam if a tragedy occurs.

Purpose of Mullaperiyar dam

The Periyar river naturally flows to westward towards the Arabian sea. By the construction of Mullaperiyar dam the Periyar river water could diverted eastward to flow towards the Bay of Bengal. This deviation helps to get a great supply of water to the Madurai region of Tamil nadu. Other than irrigation Tamil Nadu generate hydro electric power from the Mullaperiyar water. 
Kerala does not has any objection in giving water to Tamil Nadu. The only concern of Kerala government and public people is about safety of human life and the regional disaster; it also affects the Periyar national park. It is not fair to increasing the storage level because the Mullaperiyar dam has the old of 116 years. Tamil Nadu wants to increase the water level to 142 feet that is 43 meter

Past, present and future of Mullaperiyar dam – Is Kerala victimized?

This is an article on the highly controversial Mullaperiyar Dam. The issue is between the States of Kerala and Tamilnadu with a mediator role by the Government of India. But the Dam issue is on the tongues of every one in India. The Mullaperiyar Dam is an epitome of the principle of the British Rule in India. A Dam in the land and rivers of Kerala built by the British to be controlled and used by Tamilnadu for a small rent. Read on for the details.

The issues of Mullaperiyar Dam

The lease agreement of the dam in the present form was one of several British mischief of divide and rule policy introduced in various parts of our country. Since the whole country was under them, they could dictate as they wanted. It is like a powerful thug forcing two parties for an agreement. The parties have no option but to follow the dictate. The British, by force and might subjugated us to accept them as our Rulers. It is like international goondaism and that is why the people of our nation fought them and won the independence and we introduced democratic system of Government for the states and the Country. So in the normal course and on the principle of natural justice, the matter should have discussed denovo and arrived at afresh understanding on equitable terms after independence. Unfortunately that did not happen after independence.

Is the stand of Kerala justified?

The contention of the state of Kerala is that the dam has completed about 120 years and is weakened. Hence the height water level should not be increased from the present level of 136 feet. Besides there were a series of earthquakes in the area around the dam so it is an earthquake prone area. If the dam is damaged further, the flood water of the dam will inundate the vast area of the central south part of Kerala causing loss of lives and loss of properties. The loss of life involved is huge. There are 3 other dams downstream which cannot take the force of the flood waters, if it happens. Therefore the State wants to construct a new dam downstream of the present one while recognizing the need of T N for water. Even the Supreme Court feels justification in the argument and because of it S C suggested for the formation Empowered Committee to look into the matter.

Prevention is better than cure

As the above say goes, it is always better, wiser and practical to take steps before the expected incident happens. In this case the dam is old and outlived its life span and the area is earthquake prone and therefore the best solution is to build a new dam for the reservoir. The U N conference on environment and development held in 1992 where India is a party, laid down certain principles in this regard. The recent global struggle for climatic condition control measures of which we are aware is an example of this principle and the global meeting has adopted these principles to which also India was a party.

The principle on precaution states that the nations should not wait for the proof for damage to take place for remedy.

The parties must take anticipatory, precautionary and preventive measures to avert the calamity if possible or at least reduce the adverse effects to the least possible levels.

Where there is threat of serious destruction or damage, the lack of scientific certainty should not come in the way of taking remedial action and this reason should not be taken for an excuse to postpone the action.

It is worthy to note in the above context the International incidents involving question of safety of people, quoted by an ex Revenue Minister of Kerala and an ex Justice of Supreme Court and a respectable citizen of India Justice Sri V R Krishna Iyer.

The Supreme Court itself in a case of 4033 of 2004 gave a verdict to the effect that matters involving actions where there is possible serious threats or irreversible damage, in many cases the preferable alternative is not clear. If an action is taken it may cause irreparable damage to the environment; if action is not taken it could cause irreparable damage to the economic interests. In cases of doubt, protection of environment should take precedence over economic interest. The precautionary principle requires anticipatory action to be taken to prevent harm. This can be done even on a reasonable suspicion and it is not always necessary that there should be direct evidence of harm to the environment.

In the USA after the collapse of Tenton Dam in 1980s, the authorities decided to review the condition of the 1st Dam of USA the Boyds Corner Dam built in 1872. There was divided opinion on the safety of the dam. Despite opposition, the US Government decided to construct a new dam did it so by 1990 and the old one was demolished.

Another example is in Australia. A century old dam the Victoria Dam constructed in 1891 using similar technology to that of the Mullaperiyar Dam. In 1966 there were seepages like that of the Mullaperiyar Dam. The Australians also carried out some strengthening measures which were found to be inadequate in 1988. Therefore the authorities decided to decommission that dam and in its place a new one was constructed.

From the above I do not think that anyone with humanitarian attitude can come in the way of building a new dam and decommissioning the existing one. However, I am giving the past history of the Mullaperiyar Dam.

The Past of Mullaperiyar Dam

The original agreement

The dam constructed by the British vide a lease agreement of 29th of October, 1886 between the Travancore Maharaja and the Secretary of the State for India both under the British Rule. The construction of the dam was completed in 1895. The lease is for 999 years to store the waters of Mullai and Periyar rivers in the reservoir of the dam and divert it to irrigate in the region of Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Dindigal and Ramanathapuram Districts of the present Tamil Nadu at an annual rent of Rs 40,000. The water from the dam is diverted to Churuliyar River which feeds the Vaigai dam in Tamilnadu. The gross area irrigated by the Mullaperiyar reservoir was 24280 ha in 1896. It increased from that to 69,200 ha in 1970-71. In 1994-95 the irrigation area from the Mullaperiyar water increased to 92,670 ha. The original height of water level in the dam was 46.3 meters (152 feet).

Background of 1970 amendment

There were some disputes between the erstwhile Governments of Travancore and the Madras States regarding usage of the water for hydro electric generation purposes as the water was given solely for the purpose of irrigation and the rent for the land etc. This disputes were referred to an arbitration tribunal consisting of Sir David Devadoss an ex judge of the Madras High Court and the Dewan Bahadur V S Subramoniya Aiyer Avergal and ex Dewan of Travancore State. The arbitrators could not come to an agreement on the issues and hence gave separate awards. So the case went to an umpire Sir Nalinni Ranjan Chatterji. The umpire in his award dated 12-5-1941 declared that the lessee had the right to use the water for irrigation purpose only and had no right to use the water for any other purpose than irrigation. However, if it was possible to use electricity in connection with carrying or distributing of water in connection with irrigation, the lessee had the right to generate and use hydro electric energy for such purposes only. For this purpose the representatives of erstwhile Governments of Travancore and Madras discussed and arrived at and agreement. They could not sign the agreement due to reasons unknown, may be due to the freedom struggle and the transition thereafter. In 1970 the secretaries of the 2 states signed the agreement.

In terms of the arbitration award, the original agreement of 29-10-1886 was amended on 29th May 1970. The agreement was validated by an agreement between the States of Kerala and Tamilnadu. The amendment was to the effect of

1. Giving fishing rights in the water bodies like tanks, ponds etc of the leased area to Kerala.
2. Change in the acreage rent of Rs 30/- per acre for 8,000 acres.
3. Kerala gives the right to produce electricity to use for irrigation purposes to Tamilnadu from the Periyar Dam waters.

Dispute of water level height in the dam

Since 1970 the dam's reservoir level is the dispute issue between Kerala and Tamilnadu Governments. Kerala's point was that the dam has outlived its life and is unsafe to maintain water at full reservoir level of 46.3 meters (152 feet) and should be brought down to 41.45 meters. In 1979 the Central Water Commission (CWC) dealing with the dam safety was asked to look into the matter and give its suggestion. It suggested reduction of water level to 41.45 meters (136 feet) as an emergency measure and suggested other measures to strengthen the dam.

On the basis of reports in 1979 about the inadequate safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam, The Central Water Commission (CWC) held discussions with the concerned departments of Kerala and Tamilnadu and suggested certain emergency, short term and long term measures to strengthen the dam. One of the emergency measures was to keep the shutters of spillway raised fully to lower the reservoir level to 136 feet. The CWC felt that after completing all the emergency measures suggested the water level can be raised to 152 feet.

Legal battles on Mullaiperiyar Dam

In the meantime, both Kerala and Tamilnadu approached their respective High Courts for order on disputed points. But all these cases were transferred to the Supreme Court. The S C on 28.4.2000 directed the Honorable water resources minister to sort out the issues amicably with discussion between the C Ms of both the states. The W R minister constituted a committee of experts in consultation with both the states to report on the proper completion of the emergency measures, for strengthening the dam, suggested and as to the feasibility of increasing the water level. In March, 2001 the committee gave report stating that the strengthening measures are done and the water level may b raised to 142 feet. After full completion of work, the further raising of the level to 152 feet may be considered according to the committee. In the case filed by the Environmental Protection Forum in 2001 the Supreme Court permitted the T N Government to raise the water level of the Mullaperiyar Dam from 136 feet to 142 feet and take up the remaining strengthening measures.

The Kerala Government passed the Kerala irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006 which prohibited the raising of water level beyond 136 feet in the Mullaperiyar Dam as the dam was placed under the schedule of endangered dams. On 31.3.2006 the T N Government filed a case suit No. 3 of 2006 for declaring the Kerala amendment 2006 as unconstitutional and pass a decree of injunction restricting Kerala from enforcing the provisions of the amended act and permit T N to raise the water level to 142 feet as per its earlier judgment. Kerala filed a review petition on 3.4.2006 and the S C dismissed the petition on 25.9.2006 stating that the state governments independently or with the intervention of the Union Government may try to sort out the dispute, if possible.

The Union water resources (WR) minister convened the meeting of the 2 state C M s on 29.11.2006 at New Delhi and also with the concerned state ministers also, but without success. Again on the suggestion of the Prime Minister the 2 Chief Ministers met with the W R minister on 19-12-2007. On 20-12-2007 The T N Chief Minister wrote to the effect that in the meeting of 19th he (T N C M) suggested to oversee the seepage measurement of the dam by engineers not belonging to either of the states but through the CWC. The letter further stated that the Kerala C M agreed to the same. But the C M of Kerala wrote to the Tamilnadu C M on 22.1.08 stating that in the 19th December meeting the Kerala C M suggested a joint mechanism to monitor the seepage. In the letter of 4.2.08 by the C M of T N to the Kerala C M mentioned that the joint monitoring was not discussed in the meeting. The C M of T N requested to the Center to suggest a mechanism for monitoring the seepage and a committee to monitor. The Central Water Commission (CWC) suggested a 9 member committee headed by the A Chief Engineer of the CWC with representatives from both the states for monitoring the seepage. The composition of the Committee with the terms of reference was sent to the chief secretaries of the Kerala and T N for their suggestion. The T N Government replied on 17.6.08 stating that the Central Government's proposal of the committee with members from both states to measure the seepage is not acceptable to them. The Kerala in its letter of 24.2 09 informed that the stand of the T N for team excluding those from Kerala and T N is not acceptable to them.

In the meanwhile the Kerala Government got a hydrological review studies done by a professor of IIT, Delhi and has filed the hydrological study report in the S C on 15.7.08 in reference to the Suit No 3 of 2006 filed by the T N Government. The report is to the effect that the Mullaperiyar Dam is hydrologically unsafe for passing the estimated probable maximum flood (2, 91,275 cusec / 8,248 cusec) with the existing spillway capacity. The CWC has commented to the effect that the study by the IIT professor does not appear to be well founded. In May 09 the Kerala Government constituted a Committee and the committee gave its report in June 2009 suggesting for mapping of the underwater area, installation of highly sensitive computer operated seismograph and construction of a new Dam downstream of the existing dam. According to the report the dam has reached such a deteriorated condition that no amount of rectification work could salvage the dam to a safe and healthy condition. In view of this report the Central Water Resources Minister advised the CWC in July, 09 to constitute a team of officers to visit the dam and assess the present condition and look into the issues raised in the report of the expert committee. The secretary of W R convened a meeting at the dam site on 31.7.09 attended by the Principal Secretary, PWD, Tamilnadu and Additional Chief Secretary, WRD, Kerala. Kerala representative informed that the only solution to the safety problem is to build a new dam and have started the survey to find an alternate site. Downstream of the existing one at the cost of Kerala State. The representative further informed that Kerala recognizes the established use of water from the dam by the T N, and will continue to allow the facility after the new dam constructed. The representative of Tamil Nadu informed that they will examine the proposal of the Government of Kerala for the new dam after they receive the proposal formally. On this basis the Water Resources Minister of the Center wrote on 26.8.09 to Kerala Chief Minister to send the proposal to the T N for their consideration. On 14.9.09 The T N Government informed that they have already communicated vide their letter dated 13.7.09 to the Governments of India and Kerala that there is no need for a new dam as the existing dam after it is strengthened functions like a new dam. Wide a letter dated 26.9.09 commenting on the minutes of the 31st July meeting, Kerala clarified its position that what was agreed by it in the meeting was to give water to Tamilnadu.

After hearing the issues related to the Mullaperiyar Dam, on the 10th of November, 2009 the Supreme Court issued its order to the effect that as the case involves the resolution of the said questions, the Suit may be placed before the Honorable Chief Justice of India for necessary directions for placing it before a constitution bench. The contesting parties are to maintain status quo in respect of the dam as existing at the present time except for carrying out any maintenance or repair by the state of Tamilnadu.

The Empowered Committee

On 18.2.10 the case was heard by the 5 judges designated and directed the Central Government to constitute an empowered committee on this matter. The committee would hear the parties to the Suit on all issues that will be raised before them, and furnish a report, as far as possible within 6 months from their constitution.

The Central Government, received the Court order vide the communication dated 29.2.10. The Central Ministry of Water Resources constituted the Empowered Committee vide their notification dated 30th April, 2010. The Supreme Court vide its order dated of 20th September, 2010 has extended the term of the committee by a further period of 6 months w.e.f. 30-10-2010.

The empowered committee met many times and decided to take up the following issues in its meeting held on 15-10-2010:

Out of the measures suggested by CWC, which are the measures already carried out by the Tamilnadu for strengthening the dam?

Which are the remaining suggestions yet to be carried out to by the T N for the safety and stability of the dam, when they are to be taken up and completed?

Has the State of Kerala complied with the suggestions of the CWC and taken appropriate measures in this respect?

Need the level of the water level in the reservoir to be raised from 136 feet and yes what further steps are to be taken to strengthen the dam to raise the level to 142 feet according to the two parties concerned?

Since the State of Kerala wants for the safety aspect of the present dam is not satisfactory, wants to build a new dam at its own expenses the Committee has sought answers for the following points:

How much time the Kerala will take to carry out survey, feasibility studies, preparation of DPR, tying of finances, obtain clearance and construction of the dam?

Who would control, operate and maintain the new dam, i.e. the state of Kerala or Tamilnadu?

Whether and how the new existing dam would continue the supply of water to the state of Tamil Nadu till the new dam becomes operation?

Would the construction of the new dam will any way affect the supply of water for use in Tamil Nadu during its construction?

The committee is in the midst of conducting tests and studies.

Conclusion

Let us hope that the Government of Kerala is able to give its case forcefully and effectively. Let us hope that the Empowered Committee goes through the facts and give an opinion to the Supreme Court keeping the Kerala side of the view to get justice to Kerala. Let us hope The Supreme Court takes similar decision as of its case No 4033 of 2004.