The Tamil Nadu government will store water in the Mullaperiyar dam at the permitted level of 142 feet from November 30, depending on the inflow, as per the Supreme Court order and the approval of the Central Water Commission, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan said on Saturday.
He further clarified that Tamil Nadu engineers released water from the dam on October 28, while the Kerala Minister and officials were present when the sluices were opened.
“In line with the direction of the Supreme Court and the approval of the Central Water Commission, the Water Resources Department is regulating the level in the dam as per the rule curve. There is no doubt in the [Tamil Nadu government’s] resolve that water would be stored at the permitted level of 142 feet from November 30, depending on the inflow. The Tamil Nadu government has been monitoring, maintaining and operating the Mullaperiyar dam,” he said in a statement.
Referring to reports published in a section of the media, he clarified that the dam was “completely under the control of the Tamil Nadu government”. Certain reports published in a section of the media created an impression that it was under the control of Kerala, “which is not true”, he said.
Elaborating on the circumstances that led to water release on October 28, Mr. Duraimurugan said the Madurai Region of the Water Resources Department decided to open two sluices “in view of the rising water level”. As per the standard operating procedure, Kerala officials were informed, he said.
As of 8 a.m. on October 30, the level stood at 138.85 feet, and the inflow came down to 3,404 cusecs. About 2,340 cusecs was being drawn through the tunnel to the Vaigai dam, with a discharge of 875 cusecs, he said. “These figures will vary, depending on the inflow.”
