Mullaperiyar dam: Hopes rise as 'political maturity' paves way for solution

Since the 1960s, the Mullaperiyar dam has surfaced regularly as a contentious issue between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. For decades, the dam and its safety used to create panic among millions of people living in the downstream districts of Kerala, whenever rain intensified. On the other side, the water is a lifeline for over 208,000 hectares of agricultural land in around five districts of Tamil Nadu.

However, experts indicate that for the first time in over six decades, each of the two chief ministers (this time M K Stalin of Tamil Nadu and Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala) has shown sensitiveness towards the anxieties of the people in the other’s state, triggering hope that they may well be able to find a permanent solution to the dispute.

However, protests took place after a report by the United Nations University — the Institute for Water, Environment and Health — said the dam could give way owing to structural factors. The increase in rain and rise in water levels in the dam, managed by Tamil Nadu, have added to the problem. This led to a widespread campaign in social media with the hashtag #decommissionmullaperiyardam. Several stars like Prithviraj Sukumaran and Unni Mukundan became part of the campaign. Then came a statement by Vijayan, attracting criticism from dam crusaders and the opposition, while political analysts saw it as political maturity. Vijayan assured the Kerala Assembly there was no fresh scare over the dam’s safety and any attempt at stoking fear and creating unrest through campaigns would be dealt with strongly. “The differences with Tamil Nadu regarding the construction of a new dam should be dealt with through deliberation, not campaigns,” he said. From the other side, Stalin too came up with a statement saying the interests of the people in both states would be “safeguarded”, giving nod to the release of water through a tunnel as rain intensified.

The AIADMK has blamed Stalin for failing to store water up to the permitted 142-foot level. Though he ruled out the construction of a new dam, Tamil Nadu’s Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said last week the issue would be resolved amicably and Kerala should not have apprehensions regarding the safety of the dam. In between, Kerala too had given permission to Tamil Nadu to fell 15 trees downstream of the Baby Dam at the Mullaperiyar reservoir and later backtracked.

Can they solve the dispute?

Kerala has been demanding a new dam since 2007. “For the first time, there is positive concern shown by a leader from Tamil Nadu regarding the lives of the people. This is because the CPI(M), the party to which Vijayan belongs, is an ally of the DMK in Tamil Nadu. Hence, it will be easy to reach a decision favourable to the people on both sides,” said B R P Bhaskar, a political analyst.

The agreement on the dam dates back to 1886, when the Travancore king signed the Periyar Lease Deed with the British government, allowing the diversion of water from the river. The purpose of the dam was to divert the flow of the Periyar, which naturally flows into the Arabian Sea, to the eastern side towards the Bay of Bengal to provide water to the nearby region in Tamil Nadu. It was after independence that Tamil Nadu started generating power from the dam. Raising concern over the structure of the dam and its safety, Kerala had knocked the door of the Central Water Commission in 1961. That led to a mutual decision on reducing the water level to around 152 feet. After a long-drawn legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of raising the water level to 142 feet and to even 152 feet after repair work. On the other hand, Kerala’s stand was in favour of keeping it at 136 feet. Later in 2014 too, the Supreme Court allowed Tamil Nadu to keep the water level at 142 feet.

According to experts, rather than constructing a new dam, both sides can consider using the current dam as a diversion structure.

“Building new dams may lead to a long-term environmental impact on the region. I believe the states can consider using it as a diversion structure and giving the storage responsibility to Tamil Nadu in their area,” said S P Ravi, director of the River Research Centre (RRC), Chalakudy. Studies by IIT Delhi and IIT Rourkee had said the dam was unsafe and might not withstand an earthquake.

“Even if there is a 1 per cent chance of the 126-year-old dam breaking, the leaders should not take it lightly. For the first time, we are seeing politically wise moves. I hope they reach an amicable solution,” Ravi added.