The Hindu : Kerala News : Minister: study reiterates need for new dam at Mullaperiyar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 08, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala

Minister: study reiterates need for new dam at Mullaperiyar

Special Correspondent

Roorkee IIT requested to conduct study on dam’s stability

Both the reports of the Delhi IIT and the Roorkee IIT to be placed before apex court
Rs. 1.31 crore sanctioned towards engineering investigations for building new dam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The report on a study on probable maximum flood conditions at Mullaperiyar, released by the Delhi IIT recently, doubly reiterated the need for replacing the 108-year-old dam located there, said Kerala Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran.

Replying to submissions from E.S. Bijimol and K. Babu in the Assembly on Monday, the Minister said the State had also requested the Roorkee IIT to conduct a study on ‘the structural stability of Mullaperiyar dam’ in the event of probable earth tremors. The report on this study was waited.Mr. Premachandran said the State would place both reports before the Supreme Court in the ongoing case with Tamil Nadu.

The Delhi IIT, in its study, reported that the catchments of the Mullaperiyar dam could receive up to 65.43 cm of rainfall during a two-day-period of maximum precipitation. In the event of such heavy rainfall, 13.86 tmcft of water would reach the reservoir within 70 hours. The study said the water level in the reservoir could then shoot up to 158.67 feet (much beyond the present permitted level of 136 feet), even if all the 13 shutters of the dam were kept wide open.

“In Indian conditions, it is an accepted principle to allow a 10 per cent margin of default for the spillway capacity because of possible mechanical failure or human failure. The reservoir level can go up to 160.22 feet under maximum flood conditions,” the Minister said quoting the findings of the study.

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

Kerala