Mullaperiyar Dam, State, River, Latest News

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Mullaperiyar Dam Latest News

The Supreme Court recently directed Tamil Nadu and Kerala to resolve contentious issues related to the Mullaperiyar dam with expert intervention.

About Mullaperiyar Dam

It is a masonry gravity dam situated on the Periyar River in Thekkady, Idukki district, in Kerala.
It is located 881 m above sea level, in the Western Ghats mountains.
The dam is built at the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers.
It is one of the oldest dams in India. Its construction began in 1887 and was completed in 1895.
The construction was carried out by the British Corps of Royal Engineers under the leadership of Pennycuick.
- The dam was constructed with limestone and “Surkhi” (burnt brick powder and a mixture of sugar and calcium oxide).
The dam has a height of 53.6 meters (176 feet), a length of 365.7 meters (1,200 feet), and a storage capacity of 443 million cubic meters (11.5 billion cubic feet).
It created anartificial lake and reservoir that covers an area of 8.5 sq.km
The dam is surrounded by the Periyar National Park, a renowned biodiversity hotspot that is home to numerous endangered species of animals and birds.
The dam’s primary function is to transfer water from the Periyar River to the Vaigai River basin in Tamil Nadu for irrigation and power generation purposes.
Although the dam is located in Kerala, it is operated and maintained by the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.
- It was according to a 999-year lease agreement made during British rule, that the operational rights were handed over to Tamil Nadu.
In recent years, there has been a long-standing dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu over the safety of the dam. Kerala has been demanding that the dam be strengthened or decommissioned, while Tamil Nadu has opposed any such move.