THE PIONEER
OLD DAM FUELS INTER-STATE DISTRUST
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
The stalemate over the Mullaperiyar
dam is due to a lack of trust — Kerala in unsure of its neighbour's assurances
on dam safety while Tamil Nadu worries that Kerala may renege on promises made
in 1886
The
Mullaperiyar dam dispute between Tamil Nadu and Kerala is back in the news with
the Supreme court’s recent verdict on reservoir levels and safety of the
structure. The apex court has allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the storage level of
the dam from 136 ft to 142 ft, invalidating Kerala’s Irrigation and Water
Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006, which limited the maximum water level in
the dam to 136 ft due to dam safety considerations.
The dispute between
the States on Mullaperiyar project is a unique one since it is not an
inter-State river water dispute over sharing the waters of a river, but over
the safety of the dam. The century-old dam is situated in Kerala while
the reservoir operations are carried out by Tamil Nadu as per an agreement
signed in 1886 between the Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu) and Travancore
State (now Kerala). Tamil Nadu had objected to Kerala’s Dam Safety Act and had
approached the apex court for its invalidation.
According to the
stand taken by Kerala justifying its Act of 2006, the dam built in 1895 using
the then available technology was not safe as it had shown signs of distress
during the flood seasons in the past. Hence, a new structure to replace the
existing one is absolutely necessary to ensure safety of the people living
downstream. Kerala was willing to construct the project and provide water as
per the 1886 treaty, honouring all the provisions made therein.
However, Tamil Nadu wanted the court’s permission to raise the water
level in the dam to 142 ft from the existing level (136 ft) to meet its own
irrigation needs. According to Tamil Nadu experts, the dam was structurally
sound and needed only some strengthening. There was no need for replacement.
The judicial
verdict is based on the findings of an empowered committee appointed by the
court, confirming the dam as safe on structural, hydrological and seismic
considerations. The Committee had also suggested two alternatives — a new dam,
if the States agree, or a new tunnel at a specific location to evacuate water
when the dam is under strain.
In this connection,
it will be worthwhile to examine the present status of some other such dams in
the country constructed during the same period as the Mullaperiyar and using
similar construction materials and technology.
The century-old
anicut across the Godavari river at Dhowleswaram in Andhra Pradesh constructed
in 1852, had, for decades, continued to deliver the benefits of irrigation,
navigation etc but was replaced by the Dhowles- waram barrage in 1982.
Likewise, the old anicut across the Krishna river at Vijayawada in Andhra
Pradesh, constructed in 1855 was also replaced by the new Prakasam barrage. The
old Jobra anicut across the Mahanadi river at Cuttack in Odisha, constructed in
the 19th century, was also replaced by the Mahanadi barrage.
Though the old
structures were considered safe, the authorities still replaced them to ensure
that people living downstream feel safe and continued to get irrigation and
drinking water without fail.
In view of these
precedents, the proposals for repairs etc for the Mullaperiyar project should
be considered only as a short-term measure to ensure the safety of the old dam.
In the long term, the structure will have to be replaced by a new one.
This is mainly
because, during the monsoons, people settled in the valley will continue to be
worried about their safety, living under the ominous presence of an aged dam
while facing tremors and landslides frequently. They are not convinced about
the dam’s safety due to conflicting views expressed by experts on the findings
of the court-appointed empowered committee. Hence, until a new structure
replaces the existing one, prolonged legal and political battles on the dam can
be expected to continue.
The stalemate in
the situation is presently due to lack of trust between the contending parties
— Kerala in unsure of its neighbour’s assurances on dam safety, and Tamil Nadu
worries that Kerala may renege on its promises on the treaty provisions. Hence
the Centre has to urgently intervene to defuse the situation and bring the
contending parties together for negotiations.
To allay the fears
of Kerala, its proposal for a new dam can be considered. And, to remove the
suspicions and satisfy the requirements of Tamil Nadu, the Centre can offer to
set up a control board for the operation and maintenance of the new dam, on the
lines of the Tungabhadra Control Board under the Union Ministry of Water
Resources. Such an arrangement is sure to bring about a lasting solution to
this continuing dispute.
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