In the wake of rising water level in the Mullaperiyar dam, one of the spillway shutters was opened on Monday. This follows the visit of the High-Power Supervisory Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, for the smooth conduct of the order for raising the water level to 142 ft. The three-member committee comprising chairman L.A.V. Nathan (chief engineer, Central Water Commission), V.J. Kurien (Kerala) and N.S. Palaniyappan (Tamil Nadu) visited the dam in the morning after a visit by a subcommittee on Sunday.
The subcommittee consisted of chairman Harish Girish Umberji, Kerala's representatives George Daniel and N.S. Praseeda, and Tamil Nadu representatives Seventher and Madhavan. It was found that there was an increase in the seepage level from 115.54 to 123.99 litres per minute after the water level in the dam rose from 138.3 ft to 138.5 ft.
The water level in the dam reached 139 ft on Monday evening. Tamil Nadu was drawing water at 511 cubic feet per second and the inflow of water was 1,687 cubic feet.
The shutter was opened as a trial for opening it in case the water level crossed the 142 ft limit. It was opened after Kerala representative demanded for it. At present, Tamil Nadu was drawing water at a controlled level and there was only a remote chance of a sudden rise in the level.
Moreover, the Idukki dam in the downstream of the Mullaperiyar dam has a water level below the average of the season's level. It was on November 20 last year that the water level reached the 142 ft mark for the first time after 35 years. Kerala had informed the authorities concerned on Sunday that there was water leakage through the baby dam and stress metres inside the gallery were not properly functioning.
The main issue to be raised by Kerala would be for strengthening the baby dam which Tamil Nadu had not made objections to, sources in the subcommittee said.
