NEW DELHI: The Kerala government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the sudden release of water from the Mullaperiyar dam by the Tamil Nadu government was one of the reasons for the massive floods in the state.
In its affidavit, Kerala blamed the sudden release of water from the dam for the unprecedented floods. The Mullaperiyar Dam is located on the Western Ghats near Thekkadyin Idukki district of Kerala on the Periyar river.
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose said “the state was managing the spate by controlling spill and letting a major portion of the flood waters escape to the sea.
It said that out of a total population of about 3.48 crore, more than 54 lakh or one sixth of the population of Kerala, had been directly affected by the floods. On account of the huge rains that hit Idukki, the sluice gates of the dam were opened after the water level touched 142 feet mark on August 15.
The Kerala government also sought the constitution of a Management committee to manage the day-to-day operations of the Mullaperiyar Dam. “We propose that this committee be headed by a Chief Engineer/Superintending Engineer of the CWC with both Chief Engineers/Superintending Engineers of the two states,” the state government said.
The top court had said the committee may suggest measures before releasing water in the downstream areas to handle the disaster so that the people are not hit by “the catastrophe of the flood”.
