Mullaperiyar Dam

Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court alleging that Kerala is obstructing in strengthening work of Mullaperiyar Dam.

About Mullaperiyar Dam:

• The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam located on the Periyar River in the Idukki district of Kerala at the site where the Mulla and Periyar Rivers converge.
• It lies within the Periyar Tiger Reserve, situated on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady.
• Constructed between 1887-1895 by John Pennycuick, the dam was designed primarily to divert the west-flowing River Periyar eastward to the Vaigai basin in the arid regions of Madurai, Theni, Sivaganga, and Ramanathpuram in Tamil Nadu.
• The dam’s management falls under the Tamil Nadu government, which operates and maintains it according to a 999-year lease agreement signed in 1886 and reinforced by another agreement in 1970 with the Government of Kerala.
• The area surrounding the dam is seismically active, making it vulnerable to damage from earthquakes, floods, or simply due to its age.
• Legal disputes over the dam’s safety and water distribution have led to the formation of the Mullaperiyar Dam Supervisory Committee and an Empowered Committee to address these issues.

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