The Hindu : Front Page : Expert team to visit Mullaperiyar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 08, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Expert team to visit Mullaperiyar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran has deputed an expert committee to study the condition of the Mullaperiyar dam following reports about leakage of water through a few blocks of the dam.

The former chief engineers of the Kerala State Electricity Board M.K. Parameswaran Nair and M. Sasidharan and Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department N. Sasi are members of the committee. Mr. Parameswaran Nair has been member of the expert team deputed by the Supreme Court to study the safety aspects of the dam.

An official release said on Wednesday that the dam was under constant monitoring by the officials of the Water Resources Department. Tamil Nadu was not permitting the officials to measure the seepage though the measurement was critical in assessing deterioration of the structural strength of the dam. Hence, assessment by experts was called for in determining the safe water level.

The release added that the preliminary reports indicated that the leaks and seepage had increased over the previous years. The committee was deputed against this background.

Meanwhile, 24-hour control rooms are functioning at the Collectorate and the Peerumade taluk office. In addition, special monitoring cells are functioning at the village offices in Kumily, Periyar, Manchumalai, Ayyappancoil and Upputhara.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page