Speed up measures for new dam at Mullaperiyar, Kerala tells Central Water Commission

• The State government has urged the Centre to speed up measures for building a new dam at Mullaperiyar in Idukki district.

Key Highlights

• Kerala is committed to supplying water to Tamil Nadu under the Mullaperiyar agreement.
• The old dam should be decommissioned and replaced with a new one, allaying the concerns of the people living in the downstream regions
• The CWC decision to ask Tamil Nadu to finalise the terms of reference for assessing the safety of the old dam.

Mullaperiyar Dam

• The Mullaperiyar, a 126-year-old dam, is located on the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers in Kerala’s Idukki district.
• The dam is owned, operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.
• Tamil Nadu maintained it for several purposes, including irrigation, drinking water supply and hydro-power generation.

Periyar River

• The Periyar River is the longest river in the state of Kerala with a length of 244 km.
• It is also known as ‘Lifeline of Kerala’ as it is one of the few perennial rivers in the state.
• Periyar River originates from Sivagiri hills of Western Ghats, in Tamil Nadu and flows through the Periyar National Park.
• The main tributaries of Periyar are Muthirapuzha, Mullayar, Cheruthoni, Perinjankutti.

Prelims Takeaway

• Periyar River
• Mullayar river