The issue that has been making headlines in the last few days has been that of the continuing debate between the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu over the Mullaperiyar dam. This debate has opened up a number of issues related to the ownership and use of water between the two states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the context of the current changes and the loss of relevance of the laws and decisions made during the colonial rule; the water sharing, irrigation and power generation needs of both the states; and the recent concerns on the safety of the dam in Kerala versus the urgent irrigation needs of the agricultural sector in Tamil Nadu.
A view of the Mullaiperiyar dam on Kerala-Tamil Nadu border at Kumili.Photo: Vibhu
Image Source: The Hindu
This article sheds light on the history of the Mullaperiyar dam and the background for the current deadlock between the two states over the dam. The current deadlock between the two states over the dam is essentially not a dispute for water, but has its roots in the colonial times, and has to do with the need to come to terms with the agreements and decisions made in those times with changing economic, political and environmental contexts and concerns about the safety of the dam in Kerala versus the irrigation needs of the farmers in the state of Tamil Nadu.
This dam was earlier known as the Periyar dam and the present name Mullaperiyar is derived from a blending together of the names of two areas, Mullayar and Periyar, at the confluence of which the dam is located [
At present, water is brought through a 1.6 km long tunnel till the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and then flows through open canals to Churuliyar river, which feeds the Vaigai dam in Tamil Nadu. From there a network of canals take the water to the fields. Initially the dam waters were used only for irrigation. Later, the Periyar Power Station in Lower Periyar, Tamil Nadu was built to generate hydro-electricity from the diverted waters. In 1960, a hydel project was also established downriver at Idukky on the assumption that the waters would be available during the monsoons [
The dispute between the two States of Travancore and Madras arose in about 40 years following the dam construction over whether Madras was entitled to use the Periyar water for hydropower generation. Initially, Tamil Nadu suffered a setback, but the issue was resolved 30 years later. On May 29, 1970, Tamil Nadu and Kerala signed an agreement, under which Tamil Nadu was allowed to generate electricity from the project and it surrendered fishing rights in the leasehold land in favour of Kerala [
A number of developments following independence have fuelled this ongoing debate between the Kerala and Tamil Nadu government on the dam reservoir level. There was a drastic increase in population on the downstream of the Idukki river in Kerala followed by microclimatic changes and a decline in the rainfall, which led to decline in the water levels in the Idukki dam. Power generation fell and the diversion to the Mullaperiyar dam was blamed for this decline. Kerala thus argued for reduction in water levels in the dam. The then chief minister of Tamil Nadu agreed to this and when the water level in the dam was brought down in 1980, around 8,000 hectares of Tamil Nadu's rain shadow districts suffered [
For example, a study by the Centre for Earth Science Studies in Kerala has found that the dam will not be able to withstand an earthquake of the magnitude of six on the Richter scale at higher water levels if the epicentre of the earthquake is near the dam. Several earthquakes of lesser magnitudes have occurred in the state during the past two decades and scientists have predicted the possibility of earthquakes of magnitude six occurring in the state. The chances of an earthquake occurring in the vicinity of the dam too are high because of the presence of major lineaments and fault zones in the region [
A file photo of the Mullaperiyar Dam
Image Source: The Hindu
Central government studies have however suggested that the water level in the dam can be raised followed by efforts at strengthening the dam. For example, the Central Water Commission (CWC), a premier government agency dealing with dam safety, in 1979 suggested a reduction of water level to 41.45 metres as an emergency measure along with other measures to strengthen the dam. Tamil Nadu agreed to this limit. However, another committee headed by the then CWC chairperson was appointed in 2001 to look into the matter. It stated that the reservoir level be raised to 43.28 metres, after the strengthening measures were implemented. This was to be on an interim basis, and later reservoir levels could go up to the original level of 46.3 metres [
A study on the impact of raising of water level in the Mullaperiyar reservoir of the Periyar Tiger Reserve was carried out in 2001. The team included scientists from the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), the Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Centre for Water Resource Development and Management (CWRDM) and the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON). The report had suggested that all kind of wild fauna including wild boar, gaur, sambar, otters, elephants and birds that nest in the reservoir will be adversely affected if the dam height is raised. Kerala had also been arguing against the raising of the dam height in view of this study and the impact that this could have on the environment [
In February 2010, following the Court's directions, the Union government thus constituted an empowered committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand, to hear the parties on all issues that would be raised before them and furnish a report to the Court. The committee's tenure has been extended up to February 2012 [
The debate in its present form raises a number of dilemmas that complicate the matter even further. For example, raising the level of water in the dam can pose a serious danger to the lives of the people living downstream. At the same time, experts believe that the construction of a new dam besides creating a heavy financial burden, would pose as a threat to the Periyar Tiger Reserve causing tremendous environmental damage and would be subject to the same problem of seismicity. At the same time, the irrigation needs of the farmers in Tamil Nadu are equally important and relevant.
As the political debate for and against the safety and usefulness of the dam continues within the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, people in Idukki area and environmental and water activists have expressed their concerns about the safety of the dam and argue that this is an issue of nation wide importance [
Experts such as Menon Sreelatha (2011) argue that, inspite of evidence in the form of some studies that have warned against the safety of some of these dams, no proactive efforts are being undertaken to decide about their future and decommission some of them or devise disaster management strategies [
The Mullaperiyar dam
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Water activists such as Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People (SANDRP) are highly critical of the stance taken by Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Water Resource Ministry and argue that safety of the people should be given top priority and that the state of Kerala should be given every right to take the decision about the decommissioning of the dam [
In a recent issue of the Economic and Political Weekly, Experts For Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India [
Against this backdrop of strong voices from the local population, environmental and water activists and experts that argue for the need to consider safety issues as priority while evaluating old dams such as the Mullaperiyar, the outcome of the official meeting at the Centre between the two states on the dam currently remains awaited.
(The author is a public health researcher based in Trivandrum, and also works with the India Water Portal)
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