New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the law passed by the Kerala Assembly on the Mullaperiyar Dam that said that the water level cannot be increased beyond 135 feet. The court has ruled that Tamil Nadu can increase the water level to 142 feet.
The court has said that there is no threat to the safety of the dam. The apex court has set up a three-member committee to look into the restoration work at the dam and also advise safety and security measures.
The Kerala government's Dam safety Act of 2006 has been scrapped by the court.
The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River of Kerala. It is located 881 m (2,890 ft) above mean sea level, on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala.
It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by the British Government to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency (present-day Tamil Nadu). It has a height of 53.6 m (176 ft) from the foundation, and a length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft).
The Periyar National Park in Thekkady is located around the dam's reservoir. The dam is located in Kerala on the river Periyar, but is owned, operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.
Although the Periyar River has a total catchment area of 5398 km2 with 114 km2 in Tamil Nadu, the catchment area of the Mullaperiyar Dam itself lies entirely in Kerala.
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