A special technical team from Central Water Commission (CWC) along with Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (PWD) officials on Tuesday inspected Mullai Periyar dam to assess seepage level in the main dam and chalk out plans to scale down seepage and undertake maintenance works.
The team comprising CWC Chief Engineer Y.K. Handa, Director (Dam Safety) B.R.K. Pillai, Director S. Mohammad and Deputy Director Manoj Kumar along with TN PWD Chief Engineer P. Valliappan and other officials inspected the main dam and collected various readings, including seepage level in gallery area.
The team spent more than two hours and inspected the entire dam for future course of action.
Sources said that Tamil Nadu had already appealed to the CWC to inspect the dam and guide it to undertake maintenance work, including reducing seepage level and patch work, if any.
The team had planned to visit the dam earlier. But it delayed the visit as the storage level in the dam was very high.
With the storage level coming down to 118 feet from 142 feet, the team inspected the dam and guided the PWD officials to proceed further.
On the basis of their suggestions and guidance, the PWD would undertake maintenance work, said officials.
The sources said that the CWC report would the officials tackle Kerala irrigation officials who often complained that seepage level was high and the dam was very weak.
The State government had sanctioned Rs. 7 crore for maintenance work to be carried out in the dam. Already, the Supreme Court has directed Tamil Nadu to increase the level to 152 after strengthening the baby dam.
