Mullaperiyar dam: T.N. using obsolete gate operation schedule, says Kerla

The Kerala authorities highlighted within the Supreme Court the Supervisory Committee for Mullaperiyar dam’s lack of ability to arrange and implement the gate operation schedule for flood administration in addition to the instrumentation scheme of the dam.

Kerala stated Tamil Nadu, consequently, was nonetheless adopting an “obsolete” gate operation schedule, which dates again to 1939.

In its affidavit, Kerala knowledgeable the courtroom {that a} Central Water Commission (CWC) inspection report had stated 70% of the put in devices for monitoring the protection and well being of the dam weren’t working correctly. Also, Tamil Nadu was but to put in the 2 seismoaccelerographs beneficial to watch the seismic behaviour of the dam.

A Bench, led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, on Monday gave Tamil Nadu authorities lawyer, advocate G. Umapathy, two weeks to submit a response to the affidavit.

‘Not appropriate’

“The absence of a gate operation schedule at Mullaperiyar reservoir creates an element of uncertainty in the very management of the entire Periyar system by Kerala during the recent floods… The gate operation schedule and rule curves of the dam are very essential for planning disaster management and ensuring the safety of the people living downstream. It is the very reason for Kerala to insist that the supervisory committee finalise the schedule without further delay, considering the lurking danger of such moderate flash floods which occur frequently,” Kerala stated in its affidavit.

With the onset of the monsoon drawing shut, Kerala referred to a CWC Hydrology directorate report of 2014 that had not accepted of a draft spillway gate operation schedule ready by Tamil Nadu.

“The suggested operation till reservoir level rises to +140 ft during monsoon and +140 ft during other period is not appropriate. During flood event, it would be difficult to contain the floods at +142 ft if no operation is carried out till 140 ft level as proposed,” the CWC had stated.

Kerala famous how Tamil Nadu had delayed a assessment of the gate operation schedule, saying it wanted rainfall information from the Mullaikodi rain gauge station. Kerala stated Tamil Nadu had not even shared with it the draft schedule and rule curves submitted to the CWC.

“A single rain gauge station at Mullaikodi does not reflect the actual rainfall of the entire catchment and the above rain gauge data is not going to yield any qualitative improvement to the operation schedule,” Kerala stated.

Kerala stated its work establishing an influx forecasting system within the catchment space of the dam was progressing. “The work on the installation of the automatic weather station and real-time rain gauges in the catchment area is progressing,” it stated. In October final, the Tamil Nadu authorities had rebutted allegations made within the Supreme Court that the supervisory committee had “abdicated its duties” to judge the protection of the construction and water ranges.

The State countered allegations that the supervisory committee, constituted by the Centre on the premise of an SC judgment within the Mullaperiyar case in May 2014, had “delegated” its duties to a sub-committee.

The courtroom was listening to a petition filed by Dr. Joe Joseph and the office-bearers of the Kothamangalam block panchayat in Kerala, who expressed their apprehension in regards to the lack of correct supervision of water ranges within the over-a-century-old dam situated alongside the Periyar tiger reserve.