Mullaperiyar dam
Topic: Water Resources of India: Availability, Use and Conservation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Mullaperiyar is a masonry dam (built of stone) on the Periyar river. It was built in 1895 in Kerala's Idukki district. The land is leased to Tamil Nadu under an 1886 lease that runs for 999 years. So the dam stands in Kerala, but Tamil Nadu runs it. It sends Periyar water east to Tamil Nadu. Kerala says the dam is old and stands in an earthquake-risk area, so it is unsafe. Tamil Nadu wants to store more water in it.
Example
In 2014 the Supreme Court allowed the water level in the Mullaperiyar reservoir in Idukki, Kerala, to be raised to 142 ft. This ruling favoured Tamil Nadu's demand. The safety question is still a current issue between the two states.
Don't confuse with
- Periyar Diversion Scheme: this is the whole water-transfer scheme (dam plus tunnel) that sends water to the Vaigai basin. Mullaperiyar is only the dam within it.