The controversial Mullaperiyar Dam issue was raised in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as Congress MPs Dean Kuriakose, Hibi Eden and Benny Behanan submitted a notice for adjournment motion in Parliament, demanding the decommissioning of the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam.
Emphasising the "imminent danger to the lives of people living near the dam", Kuriakose urged the House to pause its proceedings and urgently debate this critical issue.
The Mullaperiyar Dam issue has long been a contentious dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Located on the Periyar River in Kerala, the dam’s ownership and operation rights belong to Tamil Nadu. Constructed in 1895 during British rule, the dam was designed to divert water from the west-flowing Periyar River to the arid regions of Tamil Nadu for irrigation. The 999-year lease agreement for this arrangement was signed in 1886 between the Maharaja of Travancore (Kerala) and the British government.
Kerala argues that the dam is unsafe and advocates for the construction of a new dam while Tamil Nadu maintains that the existing dam is secure and opposes building a new one. The dispute has persisted despite numerous talks and court rulings.
"It was when the Central Water Commission visited Mullaperiyar in 1979 that the world first learned about the dangerous situation of this dam. Now, the dam is almost 130 years old. If something unfortunate happens, the lives and property of lakhs of people in five districts of Kerala will be at risk. The people of the region have been living in great fear for the past few decades," Kuriakose posted on social media upon submitting the motion.
Kuriakose has called the existing dam a "water bomb" and has demanded the construction of a new dam without affecting the existing water supply agreement with Tamil Nadu. According to the Dam Safety Act of 2021, the National Dam Safety Authority and the states involved must make decisions jointly. He urged the Center to facilitate the construction of a new dam by achieving consensus between the two states, adding that Kerala is ready to undertake the job of constructing the new dam.