Periyar dam panel recommends raising storage level

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, FEB. 10. The Expert Committee on Mullaiperiyar dam is understood to have recommended that the water storage height of the dam be raised to 142 feet from the current level of 136 feet. Kerala has given a dissenting note on this major recommendation which is a point of disagreement with Tamil Nadu.

The seven-member committee chaired by Dr. B.K. Mittal of the Central Water Commission, met here on Friday and Saturday to finalise the report. The committee was set up on the directions of the Supreme Court. Tamil Nadu has been maintaining that at the present height of water level, it stands to lose water for irrigation, while Kerala's apprehension is that raising the storage level would risk the surrounding areas.

The committee is also believed to have suggested that the Kerala Government allow Tamil Nadu to strengthen the adjacent Baby dam, and that the construction of a parapet on the Periyar dam be completed. The Kerala representative, Mr. N.K. Parmeshwaran Nair, has objected to all the three recommendations.

However, it is understood that Kerala has gone along with the suggestion that possible instrumentation be done in the Periyar dam to monitor the structural behavior of the dam. But according to them, the instrumentation of the Baby dam would be against the guidelines of the Central Water Commission.

Sources said but for Kerala, there was unanimity on the recommendations worked out by the committee. Besides the representatives of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu Governments, two Chief Engineers of CWC, chief engineer of the Dam Safety Organisation of Madhya Pradesh and a retired chief engineer of Uttar Pradesh are members of the committee.

The committee had submitted an interim report about two months ago with its recommendation that the Centre for Material and Soil Research do testing for materials of the Baby dam.

The final report is likely to be submitted to the Water Resources Ministry with two-three days and be filed in the Supreme Court on the next date of hearing by middle of the month.

Kerala to move SC

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 10. The Irrigation Minister, Mr. V. P. Ramakrishna Pillai, said on Saturday that Kerala would be strongly fighting against the recommendations of the Technical Committee, constituted by the Union Ministry of Water Resources, before the Supreme Court.

The Minister said that the committee was constituted unilaterally by the Union Ministry, and the committee had taken its decisions disregarding opinion of the Mr. M. K. Paranmeswaran Nair, who represented Kerala in the committee.

Mr. Pillai said that the State had lined up a team of advocates headed by Mr. Asok Desai, to argue the case before the Supreme Court.

A fresh affidavit would be filed before the Court shortly, taking into considerations the decisions of the Committee and the earthquake that rocked the State. He recalled that Kerala had wanted the committee members to be decided in consultation with the two States.

However, this was not done and the Centre had formed it own its own disregarding the protest made by Kerala. Besides, Kerala had wanted the committee to initiate technical studies using appropriate equipment and instrumentation.

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