Kerala wants to fix water level at 137 ft

T.N. opposes this at a high power committee meeting and demands 142 ft

At a meeting of the high power committee appointed by the Supreme Court on Mullaperiyar Dam held online on Tuesday, Kerala demanded to fix the water level in the dam to 137 ft and Tamil Nadu take maximum water from the dam.

But the representative of Tamil Nadu wanted to set the water level at 142 ft. The Kerala representative said that in 2018, the Supreme Court had directed to fix the water level in the reservoir at 139.99 ft.

The State is facing serious problem now when compared with 2018. If water is released from the dam, the Idukki reservoir, which is almost full reservoir level now, cannot store more water. In the present situation, Tamil Nadu should draw more water from Mullaperiyar and store it in Vaigai and Madurai dams, the Kerala representative said.

Kerala Additional Chief Secretary T.K. Jose, Tamil Nadu member and Additional Chief Secretary Sandeep Saxena, and Central Water Commission member and Mullaperiyar high power committee chairman Gulshan Raj attended the meeting.

The meeting was held in the wake of the Supreme Court asking the high power committee to decide on fixing the water level. The apex court will deliver the judgement on Wednesday.

District Collector Sheeba George said that all steps had been taken and various departments were put on alert over the increase in the water level in the dam.

Talking to mediapersons after a review meeting, she said that 3,220 persons in Peerumade, Udumbanchola, and Idukki taluks would be shifted temporarily. The were from the villages of Periyar, Manjumala, Upputhara and Elappara in Peerumade; Ayyappancoil and Kanchiyar villages in Idukki; and Anavilasam in Udumbanchola taluks.

Control rooms would be opened by the Water Resources Department and Fire and Rescue Services. The Forest Department has opened two control rooms at Vallakadavu and Vandiperiar.

Two Deputy Collectors were put on special duty at Mullaperiyar. There will be night patrolling by the police. The grama panchayats should ensure the support of the rapid response team.

Buildings were identified for rehabilitation camps and teams would be deputed for the security and health needs in the camps. She also ordered the removal of the debris of a bridge which had collapsed in the 2018 floods at Nooradi. This was causing hindrance to the smooth flow of water in the dam.