The high-power committee, constituted by the Supreme Court to monitor the Mullaperiyar dam, inspected the structure on Tuesday. Led by committee chairman Gulshan Raj, who is also the chief engineer of dam safety at the Central Water Commission, members of the panel inspected the operation of two shutters, the gallery downstream and the baby dam.
The inspection team included K. Manivasan, Principal Secretary (Public Works Department), B. Ashok, Secretary, Water Resources, Government of Kerala, and PWD officials from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “The water level at the dam can be increased to 152 feet only after strengthening the baby dam, for which exchange of data and cooperation between the two State governments is necessary. No safety issue has been noticed in the dam. The sub-supervisory committee did not raise any safety concern or seepage in the dam. They are well within permissible levels,” Mr. Gulshan Kumar, told reporters after inspecting the dam. He said there were “no new conflicts” between the governments of T.N. and Kerala over the dam. The committee held discussions with the sub-committee and officials from both States on strengthening the baby dam and providing electricity for the dam. “Cable-laying work to provide power supply to the dam will begin soon. Maintenance work on the Ghat Road leading to the dam will also be taken up soon. Steps are being taken to install a surveillance network at the dam site,” Mr. Kumar said.
