Farmers in Tamil Nadu have objected to Kerala Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph’s statement that building a new dam near the Mullaperiyar dam is the only solution. The remarks have triggered fresh concerns among farming communities that depend on the Periyar waters.
The Supreme Court, in its May 7, 2014 verdict, allowed the Mullaperiyar water level to be maintained at 142 feet and said it could be raised to the full capacity of 152 feet after strengthening the baby dam. The level, earlier reduced to 136 feet, was restored to 142 feet in the same year following the ruling.
However, farmers allege that for the past 10 years the Left-led government in Kerala had placed hurdles to prevent the strengthening of the baby dam, delaying the move to raise the level to 152 feet. They also pointed to campaigns in Kerala that highlighted fears of dam failure through visuals and short films.
With a Congress-led alliance now in power in Kerala under Chief Minister Satheesan, there had been expectations of progress, especially as Congress is part of the Tamil Nadu government. But Mons Joseph said Kerala would approach the Supreme Court again and reiterated that a new dam was needed to “protect Kerala,” drawing criticism.
Farmers said multiple expert assessments and inspections by the Central monitoring and sub-monitoring committees have repeatedly found the dam to be strong, while Tamil Nadu’s water resources department continues maintenance work. They urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay to respond firmly to the minister’s remarks to prevent the issue from escalating into large-scale protests, as seen in 2011.
