Kerala is targeting Mullai Periyar following the spider river

 What will be the impact of building a new dam?

While the kerala government is building a barrage across the river Spider, on the other side, the Mullai Periyar dam is not safe and the central government has taken up the environmental impact report to build a new dam.

The issue of river water is a constant conflict between the neighboring states. Once there was a conflict with the karnataka government over Cauvery river water and another time there was a conflict with the kerala government over the mullaperiyar dam issue. In this situation, a barrage is being constructed on the Spider River at a place called Peruguda under Devikulam Circle of idukki district, kerala State. It is said by the kerala government that the dam is being built for the drinking water needs of the local people. But if a barrage is constructed across the Spider River, then the flow of water from that river to the amaravati River will be completely stopped.

As a result, kerala is accused of destroying the amaravati River, which is the source of drinking water and irrigation for Tirupur and Karur districts. The amaravati River originates in the Manjampatti Valley between the palani Range and the Anaimalai Range and flows through Dindigul and Karur districts, providing irrigation to 55,000 acres of land. In this situation, if a new barrage is built, not only the agriculture but also the people will be affected without drinking water in tamil Nadu.

While this has caused fear on one side, the kerala government has again made an attempt to build a new dam instead of Mullai Periyar. The supreme court ruled that the Mullai Periyar dam is very strong and can store up to 142 feet of water in the first phase and after completion of minor paving works in the tributary, it can store up to 152 feet of water at full capacity. But the kerala government has not implemented this order and is storing water below 142 feet.

It is in this situation that the Mullai Periyar dam is not safe and as an alternative a new dam is being constructed in Periyar Village, Peermedu Taluk, kerala State. This place is at a distance of 8 km from Vandipperiyar. The kerala government is planning to build a new dam 1200 feet downstream from the existing dam. On 05.02.2024, the Department of Water Resources, government of kerala had applied to the Environmental Expert Assessment Committee of the Union government seeking the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement for the construction of a new dam below Mullai Periyar Dam.

The application has been listed by the Union Environmental Expert Appraisal Committee for consideration on May 28. Farmers have expressed fear that if the kerala government builds a new dam, Mullai Periyar, the main water source of tamil Nadu, will be left out of hand and thus agriculture in the southern district will be completely affected.