Kerala floods: Find ways to reduce water level at Mullaperiyar dam says SC

New Delhi, Aug 16: The Supreme Court has said that the Disaster Management Committee will sit. With the National Crisis Management tomorrow to bring down the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam.

The court said that both Kerala and Tamil Nadu will cooperate with the committee to give displaced people adequate security immediately. The court observed that people should not live in constant fear.

The court said that the sub committee of the Disaster Management committee may suggest, what measures can be taken to handle the disaster so that people do not suffer the catastrophe of the flood.

During the hearing, Tamil Nadu said that the inflow into the dam is 20,000 cusecs. Due to rains, it may not be possible to reduce the water level immediately. There is limited capacity to release water, TN also said.

Kerala submitted that the water level at the dam should be reduced to 139 feet. The Centre said that the National Crisis Management Committee met today and assured continued assistance to Kerala.

The court said that the decisions of the sub-committee regarding water level of the dam shall be implemented by TN and Kerala immediately. The sub-committee shall file its report by 2 pm tomorrow.

A petition had been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a directive to the Centre to arrange meetings with Tamil Nadu in the wake of the floods.

The petitioner sought for a meeting between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar dam in the backdrop of the floods.

The petitioner also sought for a Disaster Management Plan to be activated.
Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday sent an SOS to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart in Tamil Nadu E Palaniswami on the rising water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam.

He asked Tamil Nadu chief minister to release water from Mullaperiyar Dam that was close to breaching the 142-feet mark, the maximum level that Kerala believes, the dam structure can safely hold.

He also made phone calls to PM Modi and the Union Home Minister, urging them to nudge Tamil Nadu to release some water from the dam to bring down the water level to 139 feet.