As Mullaperiyar Dam swells, Oommen Chandy requests O Paneerselvam's 'personal intervention'

KOCHI: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy requested for “immediate personal intervention“ of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Paneerselvam to allay fears of the people living downstream of Mullaperiyar Dam by bringing down the water level of the dam from the present level of 139.50 ft to less than 136 ft.
In a letter, Chandy requested Paneerselvam to instruct the concerned officers to take measures to increase the rate of withdrawal of water from the dam so that it can be brought down to less than 136 ft without further delay.

“It is true that the two states have dif ferences of opinion regarding the safety aspect of Mullaperiyar dam,“ Chandy said. “But the present crisis can be avoided if Tamil Nadu can draw more water from the dam. Tamil Nadu will not lose a single drop of water by implementing the request,“ he added.

The rise in water level in Mullaperiyar dam is mainly due to the drastic reduction in the withdrawal of water to Vaigai reservoir in Tamil Nadu in spite of the availability of storage space, Chandy said.

He explained that one of the 13 spillway gates was damaged and the repair works are going on for the past two weeks. North-east monsoon is active and heavy rains can be expected anytime. In this context, the high water level of 139.5 ft has caused concern among those living downstream of the dam, Chandy added.