The Hindu : Front Page : State to take intensive steps

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Wednesday, Nov 22, 2006
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State to take intensive steps

Special Correspondent

If water level increases to dangerous level in Mullaperiyar

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will not hesitate to take intensive measures for ensuring the safety of its people if the water level in the Mullaperiyar reservoir increases to a very dangerous level, Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran said here on Tuesday.

He said it was on the basis of a recommendation made by the Central Water Commission in 1979 that the water level was brought down to 136 ft. The water level had increased beyond that point 11 times during the 25 years after that. The highest water level of 142.60 ft was recorded in 1989. In August 2005, the water level was 139.20 ft. Whenever the water level increased, the water used to flow through the spillway into the Periyar and reach the Idukki reservoir. The highest point to which the water level increased this year was 138.7 ft and the Government did as it was doing in the past. The only difference this time was that the Government was more vigilant as Tamil Nadu was taking steps to lower the shutter and bring the water level to 142 ft once it increased beyond 136 ft on the basis of a Supreme Court order.

That the Government was able to defend the move temporarily through its timely intervention was a matter of relief. He lauded the role played by the media in this connection.

Mr. Premachandran said that storing water over 136 ft in the reservoir and allowing water over that to flow into the river were two different things.The stand which Kerala had been adopting for years was that more than 136 ft of water should not be stored in the reservoir. When the water level increased beyond that point what else could be done other than allow the excess water to flow out through the spillway and thereby reduce the danger to the dam, he asked. It was for allowing the excess water to flow out that the spillway level was fixed, he added.

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