Kerala remains firm on its stand that the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki should be maintained at 136 feet, Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine said on Monday.
Replying to the discussion on the demands for grants for his Ministry in the State Assembly, Mr. Augustine reiterated the State’s long-standing demand for a new dam at Mullaperiyar, saying it would guarantee safety of Kerala and adequate water for Tamil Nadu.
New dam
“’We need a new dam in Mullaperiyar. The State’s policy is safety of Kerala, water for Tamil Nadu. We are not planning to change that stand,” he said, pointing out that the revised detailed project report (DPR) for the new dam, proposed 1,300 ft downstream of the existing one, is ready. Further steps will be taken in this regard subject to the Supreme Court’s approval, he said.
Steps will be taken to clean the rivers in the State annually in February and March in a bid to prevent flooding during the two monsoons, Mr. Augustine said. Flood-control measures adopted by the government have started yielding results. Thirty-two rivers were desilted and nearly 1 crore m3 silt removed. That no floods were reported during the heavy rainfall over the past weeks justifies the desiltation programme, he added.
He said the government had decided to adopt permanent measures for coastal protection along 65 km where erosion is particularly severe. This initiative will cost ₹5,400 crore.
The State government has so far provided administrative sanction to works amounting to ₹40,000 crore under the Centrally assisted Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) programme, he said.
