Expert Panel Dives Into the Mullaperiyar Dam Safety Debate

An independent six-member panel, led by former NHPC Chairman and Managing Director Balraj Joshi, has launched a four-day safety evaluation of the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala. Operating under an April 2022 Supreme Court mandate, the multidisciplinary team will analyze the structure's hydrological, seismic, and structural integrity. The panel comprises specialists from IIT Roorkee, NHPC, the Central Soil and Materials Research Station, the Ganga Flood Control Commission, and Odisha's Water Resources Department, alongside delegates from the Kerala government. The inspection unfolds amid ongoing inter-state tensions: Tamil Nadu aims to reinforce the Baby Dam and eventually raise the reservoir level to 152 feet, whereas Kerala advocates for decommissioning the century-old structure over downstream safety risks. The committee is slated to deliver its definitive report within four months.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.