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Heavy rains and recurring tremors in Kerala’s Idukki district have triggered panic among people living downstream of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam at Thekkady. The district administration issued a high alert on November 27 after the water level in the reservoir rose to the safe storage level of 136 feet (41.45 metre) and beyond due to continuous downpour in the Periyar river's catchment area. Control rooms have been opened for helping people in case of emergency.
Experts have warned that the ailing dam, which has been a bone of contention between Kerala and Tamil Nadu for more than three decades, would not survive a major earthquake. What's more, four mild-intensity tremors, measuring up to 3.4 on the Richter scale, hit areas downstream of the dam on Saturday even as people were panicking over increased leaks from the dam, caused by the previous tremors on November 18.
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But Tamil Nadu is strongly opposing Kerala’s proposal to build a dam, asserting the present reservoir "is as safe and good as new" and has accused Kerala of whipping up fear psychosis.
As per the original agreement, the Travancore Maharaja leased out 3,237.5 ha of forestland from the Periyar basin to the Madras government for a lease amount Rs 5 per acre (0.4 ha). This amount was raised to Rs 30 in the renewed agreement between Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments signed in 1970. As per this agreement, Tamil Nadu pays an annual amount of Rs 2,40,000 for the land and Rs 7.5 lakhs for the electricity it generates. But a new dam means a new agreement, and a new agreement may cause the state dearly, if one considers the money Tamil Nadu pays to Karnataka for Kaveri water.
“But more than the economics, water is a political and emotional issue in Tamil Nadu,” points out social activist and ecologist C R Neelakantan. He also feels the permanent solution may not be building a new dam. When the lease period is 999 years, and if the life span of a dam is taken as 100 years, then at least nine dams will have to be built across the Periyar at Thekkady, which is a wildlife sanctuary and one of India's tiger sanctuary. Even if a new dam is the only solution, it cannot be built overnight. “It will take a minimum of two years, and what if something happens in between?” he asks. “It is high time that Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments sit together with the Central government and find out proper solutions keeping away narrow political interests and stopping emotional outbursts,” says he.
Environmental scientists like Shivaji Rao, direcor of environmental studies at GITAM University in Visakhapatnam, who has studied the Mullaperiyar dam, suggest cultural leaders, intellectuals, social activists and environmentalists should take a lead in sorting out the dispute and not leave the matter in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats. "Ït's not a question of Kerala or Tamil Nadu, but an issue of the fundamental right of people to lead a safe and dignified life," he adds.
The Kerala government, meanwhile, gave an undertaking to the Centre on Monday that it would continue to provide water to Tamil Nadu as is being given now, if a new dam is constructed in the place of the old one. Also, the state would construct the dam from its own funds. This assurance in writing, as sought by Union Water Resource Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal a few days ago, was jointly given by the state water resources minister Joseph and and revenue minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.