It is an extremely grave situation in Kerala, where in the wake of the devastating floods across the state 324 people have died and 310,000 people are displaced so far.
Mullaperiyar dam water level to go down
Amid growing fears that the number of deaths could escalate rapidly with countless people still marooned, SC asked the disaster management sub-committee, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and the supervisory panel monitoring the Mullaperiyar dam to explore ways to reduce the water level in the reservoir to 139 feet.
It is also advisable that water is released with utmost precautions by giving advance warning to the people living in the downstream areas, Tamil Nadu should comply with any instruction to bring down the level of the dam.
Why such a move is needed ?
The water level in the dam is at dangerously high level and continues to be a threat to the people in an already submerged Kerala.
Mullaperiyar dam is currently under a supervisory panel while to avert any grave tragedy the control of the dam should be transferred to National Executive Committee under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The problem with Mullaperiyar dam
The real problem is a contract in thinking between authorities from TN, Kerela and Experts monitoring the situation 24x7, one side of argument suggests to reduce the water level to avert any disaster from dam breakdown while other set of arguments suggests that releasing the water would cause even more havoc.
Way ahead
As SC suggested, the release of water from the dam should be done in phased manner while keeping the people from adjoining ares alert about the move. All high level authorities and experts should consider every aspect before reaching to an conclusion.
Centre, Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments should resolve the issue with the help of experts to resolve the calamity and rescue and rehabilitate people caught in the floods.
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