Mullaperiya Dam, Kerela: Affecting Millions of People Due to Rise in Water Level

An old Dam called Mullaperiya Dam on the Periyar River in the state of Kerela India is creating a threat to the lives of people due to issues related to the Dam break. The dam is situated on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala 881 metres above mean sea level.

On 23 October Saturday, the level of water in the Mullaperiya Dam has risen up to 136 feet due to heavy and continuous rain in some districts of Kerala. This has become the matter of concern for the people of Kerala for the last few days as the water level crossed 137.05 feet on the night of Sunday. Five of the districts of Kerala will be affected to a large extent if the dam bursts out and those districts are Kottayam, Thrissur, Idukki, Alapuzha and Arnakulum.

The infrastructure of the Mullaperiya Dam is worsening which can risk the life of 3.5 million populations as per the reports of United Nations University. Kerala has accused the Government of Tamil Nadu of the sudden release of water from the Dam for many times in the past. The water storage infrastructure has been creating trouble for a long and on the matter, the United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment and Health has published a report. According to the report, the Dam break is getting worst in an extreme way and this can cause danger in nearby areas. The report also mentions that the ageing of dams is a big issue in global development. There has been conflicting between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the issue of infrastructure maintenance of the Mullaperiya Dam.

The issues related to the Mullaperiya Dam are very serious as it is located in an earthquake-affected area which makes it riskier. An earthquake in the year 1979 left cracks with the Dam and later in 2011 more cracks was added as other disasters of the land took place in that area making it weaker. The intentional lifespan of the dam is fifty years and due to ageing it often shows flaws in its structure resulting in a great risk of failure. The reports of United Nations University gave warning that in case of occurrence of sudden damage 3.5 million will be in danger.

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