SC asks for panels on Mullaperiyar dam

SC asks for panels on Mullaperiyar dam

Context

Directions by the Supreme Court wrt Mullaiperiyar Dam

Directions by SC

• The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Union government to set up a special committee to exclusively prepare disaster management plans wrt Mullaiperiyar Dam
• SC also directed Tamil Nadu, which owns the dam, and Kerala, where it is situated, to set up similar committees. It said the three committees would work in harmony.

Why this step has been taken by SC?

• SC bench has clarified that the step was taken to allay the fears of thousands of people who live downstream or in the vicinity of the dam & that the special committees have nothing to do with the lifespan or safety of the dam
• Their brief is restricted to disaster management plans to prevent a calamity or contain the loss of life and damage to property in case a tragedy hits the dam

Petition

The order came on a petition to direct the government to appoint an international agency to study the longevity of the dam, a perennial source of water and controversy between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, built in 1895

• Downstream people live in fear: The petition is filed by advocate Russell Joy, who represents about three million people who live in the dam’s downstream area and fall in the direct line of a catastrophe that may arise from a “burst” of the dam
• Dam constructed using crude lime: The petition said the dam was constructed across the Periyarriver, using “crude lime surkhi mortar, at a time when dam engineering was in its infancy as a composite gravity structure.”
• Way past its lifespan: Moreover the dam was built for 50 years and had already survived for 122 years
• Vulnerable areas downstream: In case of a disaster, the “water will rush like a bullet” due to the steep hilly geographical features of the place to cover the 100 km to the Arabian Sea in less than an hour through the thickly populated areas downstream

Centre’s response

On behalf of the centre Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal submitted that

• Committee constituted: The Centre was aware of the dangers regarding dam disasters and had taken over checks of 5,000 dams across the country. A committee had been constituted to keep a close watch on the safety of the Mullaiperiyar dam and recommend preventive measures in compliance with the 2014 Supreme Court judgment
• The Centre is determined to see that the safety of the dam and provisions of the Disaster Management Act of 2005 are implemented in nature and spirit

Mullaiperiyar dam

The dam is built on an elevated junction of 850 metres and has a height of of 53.6 metres (176 feet) from the foundation, and a length of 365.7 metres (1,200 feet) for catering to the irrigational needs of Tamil Nadu

On which river is the dam built?

Periyar River

Historical background

• The dam was built in the late 1800s in the princely state of Travancore (present-day Kerala) and given to British-ruled Madras Presidency on a 999-year lease in 1886
• The agreement granted full rights to the secretary of state of Tamil Nadu, a British official, to construct irrigation projects on the land
• Purpose: The dam was built to divert eastwards a part of the west-flowing Periyar river, to feed the arid areas of Tamil Nadu
• Renewal of the agreement:The agreement was renewed by the two state governments in independent India in the 1970s. Tamil Nadu was given rights to the land and the water from the dam as well as the authority to develop hydro-power projects at the site, and Kerala would receive rent in return
• Safety concerns:However, safety concerns surfaced in 1979 after reports in the Kerala press claimed a minor earthquake had caused cracks in the dam
• CWC asked to examine:The Central Water Commission was asked to examine the structure and suggest ways to strengthen it. As an emergency measure, the commission recommended that the level of water stored in the reservoir be lowered to 136 feet from about 142 feet. It held that the water level could be raised to the dam’s full capacity of 152 feet after the structure was strengthened

From this point on, two divergent perspectives have emerged

Tamilnadu’s perspective

Tamil Nadu claims that though it has undertaken periodic repairs on the dam, the Kerala government has not allowed it to raise the water level. It says it has suffered huge losses from not being able to use the dam to its full capacity

Kerala’s claim

Kerala, on the other hand, contends it is not safe to raise the water level as Idukki district, where the dam is located, is earthquake-prone and has experienced multiple low-intensity quakes

Expert view

Scientists, too, have said the dam cannot withstand an earthquake measuring over six on the Richter scale and that if such a calamity were to happen, the lives of more than three million people would be imperilled

Source: You can read the entire article here

WORD POWER

1. De-hyphenate: forging relations with one country without linking them with any other country
2. Real Politik:  politics or diplomacy based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors, rather than explicit ideological notions or moral and ethical premises
3. Laud: praise highly
4. Disparaged: Belittle, regard having little worth
5. Incongruous: not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something, inappropriate

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