Divided by a dam
Tamil Nadu and Kerala are on the boil over the Mullaperiyar dam. Mistrust bet-ween the governments has percolated to people living in both states. Incidents of physical violence have been reported from both states and road traffic at the inter-state border is down to a trickle at many places. With politicians riding populist rhetoric, the law enforcement machinery in both states is stretched. Even as the empowered committee set up by the Supreme Court to study the strength of the dam formulates its conclusions, both governments must work - ideally together - to address real and imagined fears of the people in a reasonable manner.
Kerala must assure Tamil Nadu that the needs of its drought-prone districts would be met and Tamil Nadu should promise that fears concerning the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam would be addressed. The Centre must cajole both state leaderships to eschew subnationalist rhetoric, sit across the table and assuage the fears of the people. No expert can resolve the dispute in the absence of enlightened political leadership.
Thousands of people living downstream of the century-old dam in Keralas Idukki district fear for their safety. Old worries of fissures in the dam wall leading to a collapse of the dam itself, revived after a series of mild tremors in the hills, have reached never-before-seen levels of panic. And in Tamil Nadus Theni district, thousands live with the fear that residents of Idukki, until a few days ago partners in trade and emp-loyment, are about to break down the dam and stop the flow of water into the fields forever.
The mistrust between people is reinforced by the lack of understanding of each others concerns. Kerala claims the dam is unsafe and needs to be replaced with a new structure whereas Tamil Nadu believes alls well with the dam and suspects that the former seeks to decommission the old dam to gain control over the Mullaperiyar water.
Controversy has dogged the masonry dam since its completion in 1895 by British engineers to address water scarcity in southern Tamil Nadu. The waters of Mullayar and Periyar that are dammed at Mullaperiyar originate in Kerala (then the kingdom of Travancore). The British government reportedly pressurised the then Travancore king to sign a treaty that provided for a 999-year lease of roughly 8,000 hectares of land to Madras Presidency to construct the dam. Water from the reservoir is taken down the steep, eastern face of the Western Ghats to Tamil Nadu, into Vaigai, a rain-fed river which is the lifeline of southern Tamil Nadu.
This daring piece of engineering turned an arid region into a fertile plain. With water, crops and cropping patterns changed. Ballads celebrate the contribution of chief engineer Colonel John Pennycuick who supervised the project. Villages here are dotted with Pennycuick Peravais (forums). Farmers in Cumbum Valley offer prayers before pictures of Cuick before sowing and harvest to this day. Mullaperiyar is not just a dam but an emotion here.
However, many in Kerala believe that Mullaperiyar water was forcibly diverted to Tamil Nadu. This grievance, often aired in irresponsible language including by senior politicians, is one reason why Tamil Nadu is wary of Keralas genuine concern about dam safety. At present, the dam is controlled and maintained by Tamil Nadu. But would Kerala cede sufficient water in the case of a new dam, which would also necessitate a new water treaty? Though Kerala swears it will, Tamil Nadu is not convinced.
Perhaps, a way out, as suggested by some water management experts, is to entrust the operations and maintenance of the dam to a board constituted on the lines of the Tungabhadra Control Board (it has representatives from the Centre, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to operate and monitor the dam and water flow). This ought to be the case even if the apex courts committee concludes that a new dam is necessary. It might assuage Tamil Nadus worry that Kerala could close the tap on it if it has control of the new dam and satisfy the latters apprehensions about the dams safety.
A new dam ought to be the last resort since it entails huge economic and ecological cost. In this context, a note prepared by the Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India, a network of civil society groups, academicians and activists, deserves a close reading. It suggests that the height of the dam could be reduced without affecting the volume of water that Tamil Nadu receives. As a short-term measure to assuage the fears of people living downstream of Mullaperiyar, water level in the dam could be kept at 120 feet or less which is sufficient to divert water to Tamil Nadu. At present, the height is 136 feet whereas Tamil Nadu wants it to be raised to at least 142 feet so that it can access more water.
Would the reduced storage at the dam reduce water inflow into Tamil Nadu? Not if storage facilities like small dams are constructed in Tamil Nadu, which could be linked to the tanks in the Vaigai basin, the original source of water for agriculture in the past. Mullaperiyar dam, a storage dam now, could be redesigned and strengthened as a water diversion structure. The suggestion for a more decentralised conservation of water instead of a large centralised system in the form of a massive dam deserves attention.
But for a sane discussion on the future of Mullaperiyar, peace must first prevail in the region.
Mullaperiyar dam row: Kerala, Tamil Nadu MPs battle it out
NEW DELHI: The political battle over the Mullaperiyar dam hotted up on Tuesday with MPs from Tamil Nadu and Kerala seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to resolve the complex issue.Manmohan Singh is understood to have assured a delegation of Congress MPs from Tamil Nadu that a meeting of chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala would be arranged soon to discuss the contentious issue.
The Prime Minister also assured them that he would talk to water resources minister Pawan Kumar Bansal over the issue.
MPs from Tamil Nadu argued that Kerala should not be allowed to build a new dam near the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam in Idduki district, which is prone to earthquake tremors.
Union ministers from Kerala who called on the Prime Minister in Parliament were civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi, food and public distribution minister KV Thomas, minister of state for home affairs Mullapally Ramachandran, minister of state for external affairs E Ahamed and minister of state for power KC Venugopal.
After the meeting, Vayalar Ravi told reporters that the Prime Minister assured the delegation he would look into the matter to help sort things out between the two states at the earliest.
"The Prime Minister heard us out and assured us that he would look into the issue," he said, adding that the central government is also working to settle the issue through a meeting between the chief ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, MPs from Kerala cutting across party lines held a demonstration outside Parliament House to press for their demand for building a new dam to replace the existing earthen structure.
As a counter move, four MPs from Tamil Nadu staged a protest close to the spot where the Kerala MPs were holding their demonstration, demanding that the Supreme Court directive on raising the storage level of the dam to 142 feet be implemented.
Mullaperiyar dam has been a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Kerala for years now.
Tamil Nadu plans to have the dam wall increased to 142 feet from the existing 136 feet, and Kerala wants it reduced to 120 feet, but has offered the construction of a new dam to meet the needs of its neighbouring state. However, Tamil Nadu is opposing the move, worried that it may lose control over the dam's functioning.
Concerns in Kerala stem from questions about the dam's ability to withstand high magnitude earthquakes and the possible impact of such natural disasters on the lives of over three million people in the state's Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts.
People hit Kerala streets in protest
The people of Kerala’s Idukki district came out on streets on Monday demanding decommissioning of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam, which has become a huge threat to the lives of over 30 lakh people in four districts even as the water level in the reservoir climbed further up, escalating panic in the downstream areas.The district observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal upholding the demand and protesting against the objection of Tamil Nadu, which is controlling the dam and drawing entire the reservoir water as per a 125-year-old lease agreement, to Kerala’s plan to construct a new dam to replace the existing one.
Effigies of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and MDMK chief Vaiko, a vocal opponent of the Kerala plans with regard to the Mullaperiyar Dam, and copies of the lease agreement that gave Tamil Nadu the control over the dam for 999 years were burnt at several places in the district. Lawyers boycotted proceedings at the district court and burned Jayalalithaa’s effigy.
Thousands of women and children living in the dam’s downstream areas joined the agitations. At Vallakkadavu, hundreds of children joined dharna at the gates of Periyar Tiger Reserve. “We want the dam decommissioned. We want the water level to be brought down to 120 feet. We are fed up with living in fear,” said Lilimol, a 14-year-old girl.
The hartal on Monday was sponsored by the CPI(M)-led Opposition LDF as well as the Congress-led ruling UDF. Hartal will be observed in four central Kerala districts, including Idukki on Tuesday also. The BJP has given a call for hartal in Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts that face the danger of devastation in the event of a dam-break.
On Monday, the agitators blocked the national highway at Kumily, the town on the border with Tamil Nadu, paralyzing traffic between the two States. Trucks carrying essential commodities from Tamil Nadu were not allowed to enter Kerala. Thousands of passengers, including Sabarimala pilgrims, got stranded on the road for several hours.
Kerala Congress chairman and former Union Minister PC Thomas observed fast at Chappath, while Kerala Congress (M) MLA Roshy Augustine sat in Satyagraha at Thiruvananthapuram.
The indefinite hunger strike of the CPI’s Assembly member from Peerumedu, ES Bijimol, entered the second day on Monday.
Meanwhile, the water in the Mullaperiyar reservoir, which had stood at the permitted level of 136 feet on Sunday, rose to 136.4 feet on Monday. Water was gushing out of the first four shutter gates in the dam while overflow could be seen through the remaining nine shutters into the river that flowed to the giant Idukki reservoir.
Engineers of the Kerala Water Authority said that the water level was unlikely to come down soon as heavy rains were continuing in the catchment areas of the reservoir. Though Tamil Nadu began drawing more water from the reservoir, it was not making much difference as the inflow from the catchment areas kept on increasing.
Protests began to rage in Kerala last Saturday over Mullaperiyar Dam issue after four mild tremors struck Idukki district and opinions were aired that recurring tremors were increasing the likelihood of a burst in the already weakened Surki concrete dam. It is said that the dam could break if hit by a tremor of 6.0-plus magnitude on the Richter.
At the same time, State Law and Finance Minister KM Mani, chairman of the Kerala Congress (M), which is accused of trying to derive political mileage out of the situation with its intense agitations, said that Kerala would construct a dam in its own territory at any cost. “The Prime Minister should put pressure on Tamil Nadu,” he said in Kozhikode.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in Kozhikode that the Government had convinced the Prime Minister about the validity of Kerala’s demands. “I did not go to Delhi because I am confident of getting a fair response from the Prime Minister. I am waiting for his call. But I will go to the capital if that is necessary,” he said.
Politicians have own agenda, feels anti-dam brigade
Inhabitants of the downstream areas of the Mullaperiyar reservoir in Kerala’s Idukki district are living in perpetual fear of a possible burst in the 116-year-old in a medium-intensity tremor any time but they are beginning to suspect that many of the politicians who push them into agitation are perhaps doing it not for the genuine cause but to promote own interests. While participating in the agitations demanding immediate decommissioning of the dam that has obvious signs of frailty, many are worried that the battle cries against Tamil Nadu that they are forced to share with the politicians on the streets could generate displeasure among the people with whom they have so far coexisted peacefully.
“We have been living in this fear for the past several years but not many politicians have listened to us carefully. Our agitation has crossed 1,800 days but it had failed to receive such huge attention all these months. Why is this?” asks Babu Thomas from Upputhara.
Babu refuses to agree that tremors that had occurred in the past two weeks are the reason why politicians are suddenly alarmed. “Tremors have been occurring in this area all this while. It is not the first time cracks have appeared in the dam. Possibly due to the tremors, these politicians are perhaps trying to create a new vote-bank,” he said.
Many think that Kerala Congress (B), third largest party in the Congress-led ruling UDF, is using the dam scare to broaden its base in the mountainous eastern Kerala region. “They are in the forefront of the stir now and that is driving other major parties crazy. The others can’t allow the Kerala Congress (B) to hijack the issue,” Babu opined.
People like Ravi S, an outdoor advertisement businessman from Thodupuzha, are of the opinion that an intense people’s movement is necessary to ensure the safety of the inhabitants in the area but it should not lead to the destruction of the warm relationship between the two States.
“We need a solution but it is unlikely to come if you go through the court because the lease agreement valid for 999 years is such a powerful legal weapon for Tamil Nadu. At the same time, leaders like (Water Resources Minister) PJ Joseph should take care not to make inflammatory statements against Tamil Nadu,” says Ravi.
According to Ravi, the active involvement of the Kerala Congress (B), which can project itself as a Kerala regional party, has put the other parties like Congress and CPI(M) in a position where they are forced to speak vehemently against Tamil Nadu even when fellow-workers in Tamil Nadu units are adopting an anti-Kerala position on the same issue.
“Joseph’s tone reflects a feeling that Tamilians are rejecting the proposal for a new dam with the deliberate intention of pushing lakhs of Keralites into misery,” says Nishad, a newspaper employee from Kattappana. “Men like Joseph should act responsibly. They are the people who should be appealing for restraint when agitations get out of hand,” Nishad added.
However, the dam issue has proved that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has lost all control over his Cabinet colleagues, says senior journalist Rajeev Nair. “The Finance Minister, KM Mani and PJ Joseph are making inflammatory statements against Tamil Nadu even when Chandy is asking people to be calm. The point is that he can’t control his colleagues,” he said.
The Kerala high court on Tuesday asked the state government to inform it about the safety measures taken anticipating threat to the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice P R Ramachandra Menon directed Advocate General K P Dhandapani to inform the court by Wednesday morning the immediate measures being taken by the government.
The bench held that prevention was better than cure.
The direction was issued on a petition by advocate Rajamannar seeking for a direction to Idukki district collector to take immediate steps for draining water from the dam and three other nearby dams on a war footing.
The petitioner also sought the construction of internal chambers and compartments in the four dams for safety.
Meanwhile, former MLA K Krishnankutty also approached the high court seeking a direction to Kerala Dam Safety Authority (KDSA) to immediately start exercising its powers and duties with respect to Mullaperiyar dam, conduct an inspect and issue direction to state government to ensure safety of the dam and to prevent any damage to it.
The petitioner also sought that the KDSA's "failure" to perform its statutory function to be declared illegal.
The petitioner is likely to come before court on Wednesday.
Increase in inflow into the reservoir touching slightly above the maximum permissible storage level of 136 feet has heightened fears about the safety of the dam among people in the area and adjoining districts.
Kerala and Tamil Nadu are locked in a dispute over the dam. While Kerala is arguing for construction of a new dam at Mullaperiyar in place of the existing one, Tamil Nadu is against this, saying it would deprive water for irrigation to five districts of the state.
Disputes
The government of Tamil Nadu has proposed an increase in the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 136 feet (41 m) to 142 feet (43 m)The Kerala government has opposed this move, citing safety concerns for the more than hundred year old dam and especially for the thickly populated 4 districts downstream. Twenty six tremors have occured near the premises of the dam in the last nine months. IIT Roorkee report states that dam can not withstand earth quakes of magnitude 6 and above. It is a serious matter affecting lives and assets of millions of people. Kerala is willing to construct new dam and It is willing to provide water for Tamil Nadu. But still TN is opposing the move fearing that they will lose control over the functionality of Dam. The dispute is going to affect lives of millions staying in the three districts near the dam.
Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam over River Periyar, with a height of 155 feet and length 1200 feet and is located 2889 feet above m.s.l. on the High Ranges (Cardamom Hills) of Western Ghats in Thekkadi, Idukki District of Kerala, India. It was constructed in 1895 by the British Government, over the headwaters of the west-flowing Periyar River and its tributary Mullaiyar, to divert water eastwards to Madras Presidency area (the present-day Tamilnadu). The Periyar National Park, Thekkady is located around the Periyar reservoir formed by the backwaters of this dam. The dam is operated by the Government of Tamil Nadu based on a 999-year lease agreement made during erstwhile British colonial rule, between the British Government (Madras Presidency) and the Travancore Maharajah. The catchment areas and river basin of River Periyar downstream include five Districts of Central Kerala, namely Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Trissur with a total population of around 3.5 million. Water diverted eastward flows through a tunnel from the dam, joins River Vaigai in Tamilnadu, and is used for irrigation and power generation in Tamilnadu. The Periyar Power Station in Lower Periyar, Tamilnadu generates hydro-electricity from the diverted waters. The dam has been a bone of contention between the State Governments of Kerala and Tamilnadu, with Tamilnadu demanding raising of water level in the reservoir to increase flow of water to Tamilnadu, and Kerala objecting to this on the grounds of safety of the 116 year old reservoir that is built using lime and surkhi mortar. Earthquakes in the area have further highlighted safety issues and concerns. Various issues are still being adjudicated by the Supreme Court of India.
