TN experts echo Jayalalithaa on dam stability

COIMBATORE: Technical experts in Tamil Nadu have backed Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s view that the Mullaiperiyar dam is as “good as new” and there is no need to demolish it.Sources privy to the outcome of a series of tests undertaken at the Mullaiperiyar site at the behest of the Supreme Court anointed Justice Anand-led Empowered Committee claimed that there was no need for alarming concern on the fate of the dam.“These tests were conducted by various agencies inclu­ding the Central Water and Power Research Station in Pune, Central Soil and Material Research Station, New Delhi and Geological Survey of India, Chennai. Most tests have revealed that the dam is not weak as it is being mainta­ined annually since 1980. As Kerala is aware that the test reports are not favourable to them, politicians there are raising a hue and cry ahead of the December 5 meeting of the Empowered Committee,” a senior Public Works Department official said.Tests included scanning the upstream phase of the main dam below water level using remote operated vehicle, cable anchor stress test to check present status of stress in the cable anchor provided in 1980, and non-destructive sonic test on the main dam.Tamil Nadu PWD Senior Engineers Association secr­etary and retired PWD Special Chief Engineer A Veerappan criticised “site visi­ts” by politicians saying “the dam’s safety and stre­ngth are issues that need to be assessed by technical experts, not politicians.” Insisting the “dam won’t fail”, he accused the Kerala Cabinet of giving false assurances of constructing a new dam with the twin purpose of protectin­g the State’s people and releasing water to Tamil Nadu.“This stand contradicts their position in a Detailed Project Report on constructing a new dam submitted to the Justice Anand Committee in September. On Page 37, they declared...Mullaiperiyar is an intra-Kerala river, not an inter-State river, as a result... Tamil Nadu has ...no riparian rights on it. On Page 23, they mentioned...sharing of water would be subject to availability,” he said.