Kerala govt demands safety inspection of Mullaperiyar Dam by including international experts

NEW DELHI: The state government has asked the Supreme Court to immediately conduct a safety inspection of the Mullaperiyar Dam by including international experts. The additional affidavit submitted by Ashok Kumar Singh, the Secretary of Water Resources Department, through lawyer G Prakash says that the matter may be considered by the Supreme Court in the third week of January.

According to a report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Mullaperiyar is one of the six oldest dams in the world. More than 11,000 people died when two dams collapsed in Libya in September. In a report in the New York Times on September 17, one of the dams under threat is Mullaperiyar. Business Standard also reported on the concern over the old dams.

• The dam is 128 years old
• The concern is not about providing water to Tamil Nadu, but about safety.
• The last safety assessment was in 2011
• Heavy rains in the region and floods in Kerala should be taken into account
• On April 8, 2022, the Supreme Court reconstituted the supervision committee by including technical experts
• Even after a year and a half after ordering a comprehensive safety inspection, no action has been taken