What is wrong with Mullaperiyar dam?

2014 Supreme Court Judgment on Mullaperiyar Dam Dispute In 2014, the Supreme Court quashed the Kerala law regarding the water levels in the Mullaperiyar dam and allowed Tamil Nadu to fix the water level at 142 ft and to 152 ft. only after completing the strengthening work.

Why is Tamil Nadu opposing Mullaperiyar?

Their main cause of objection is the dams safety as it is as old as 110 years. Increasing the level would add more pressure to be handled by already leaking dam. Tamil Nadu wants the 2006 order of Supreme court be implemented so as to increase the water level to 142 feet (43 m).

What happens if Mullaperiyar breaks?

According to Kerala, if the dam collapses, it would wash away a stretch of about 25km between Mullaperiyar and Idukki dams affecting about 0.1million people. If this causes damage to Idukki dam, it would further destroy human settlements of millions of people,” said the report.

Why is Kerala government not decommissioning Mullaperiyar dam?

The Kerala government has submitted before the Supreme Court that the Mullaperiyar dam is extremely vulnerable due to its age, large catchment area and limited storage capacity and therefore must be decommissioned for a new dam to be built.

Is Mullaperiyar dam in danger?

There is no danger to the dam as the water level has not crossed 137 feet. The government will take legal action against those spreading false information on social media,” the CM said firmly.

Did Mullaperiyar dam break?

According to the UN University, the Mullaperiyar dam suffers from structural issues and the possibility of a dam-break cannot be ruled out. Moreover, the dam is located in an earthquake-prone area. Small-time earthquakes that had happened in 1979 and 2011 caused some cracks in the dam.

Is Mullaperiyar dam weak?

The petitioners have also informed the Supreme Court that according to a report published by a United Nations Institute, Mullaperiyar Dam is one of the six dams in the world which are structurally weak and susceptible to failure on account of passage of time, structural weakness and natural calamities.

Who controls Mullaperiyar dam?

Tamil Nadu
The catchment areas near the dam continue to get heavy downpour. The dam is the cause of a decades-old dispute between the two states. Tamil Nadu owns and runs the Mullaperiyar dam and is against the rebuilding of the dam fearing it will lose control over it.

Will Thrissur be affected if Mullaperiyar breaks?

Over the past few days, the level of water in the Mullaperiyar dam has steadily risen, causing concern in Kerala. Five districts of Kerala — Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulum, Alapuzha and Thrissur — would be affected if the Mullaperiyar dam bursts. Notably, the maximum water level is 142 feet.

How long will Mullaperiyar dam last?

The average lifespan of a dam is 50 years. In India, more than 1,115 dams will outlive the 50-year stipulated period by 2025. The lifespan of around 4,250 dams will expire by 2050. About 64 dams will become 150 year-old by 2050.

Why mullaperiyar should be decommissioned?

The Kerala government made a strong pitch in the Supreme Court to decommission the 126-year-old “deteriorated” Mullaperiyar dam operated by Tamil Nadu and build a new one, saying climate change, erratic and heavy rainfall and floods make the spectre of catastrophe real and near.

Why can’t mullaperiyar be decommissioned?

In a significant development, the Kerala government has told the Supreme Court that the Mullaperiyar dam is extremely vulnerable due to its age and large catchment area and should be decommissioned and a new dam should be built (Dr.