The Mullaperiyar Dam in Idukki district of Kerala. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led TVK government has in the Supreme Court flagged Kerala’s “obstructionist attitude”, which has stalled the implementation of a 12-year-old apex court judgment in Mullaperiyar dam dispute allowing Tamil Nadu to raise the reservoir water level to 142 feet.
On May 7, 2014, the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of Tamil Nadu in the long-standing Mullaperiyar dam dispute. A Constitution Bench had declared the 131-year-old dam structurally safe while allowing Tamil Nadu to raise the reservoir water level from 136 feet to 142 feet. Tamil Nadu said a 2006 judgment of the top court had even allowed it to raise the water level ultimately to 152 feet after completion of strengthening measures on the Mullaperiyar dam.
Tamil Nadu, in a report, said Kerala has not cooperated with the timely completion of measures to strengthen the baby dam, earth dam and the grouting of the main dam, which were critical for structural safety.
The State report, drawn by advocate B. Karunakaran and settled by senior advocate G. Umapathy, urged the court to give permission to Tamil Nadu to fell trees near the Mullaperiyar dam site to facilitate long-pending safety and strengthening work on the baby dam.
The State has also sought permission to complete grouting works on the dam. The structure is masonry work constructed pursuant to the Periyar Lake Lease Agreement of October 29, 1886 across the Periyar river. The construction continued for about eight years and was completed in 1895. Located in the Idukku district of Kerala, the dam is however owned and operated by Tamil Nadu. The length of the main dam is 1,200 feet and the top of the dam is 155 feet.
Tamil Nadu accused Kerala of “double standards”, saying that the “senior counsel representing the State of Kerala, informed in the Court on July 31, 2025 that the State government has already accorded necessary permission”.
“No proposal was received in the Ministry for consideration of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life, which is contrary to the recorded statement of senior counsel for Kerala on July 31, 2025,” the report filed in August 2026 said.
The State stated that the Kerala government was “attempting to delay the grant of permission for transportation of grouting materials and machinery, and yet to grant permission”.
In another instance pointed out by Tamil Nadu, the report said Kerala had requested it in November 2025 to deposit the initial cost estimate for ₹87,64,000, for repairing the existing approach road from Vallakkadavu to the dam site. Tamil Nadu had granted administrative sanction for the amount to February this year. The Kerala government was yet to start work.
The report said action was still awaited on the preparation of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) on the basis of Terms of reference (ToR) and hazard classification of Mullaperiyar Dam shared by the National Dam Safety Authority in May last year. Further, Kerala has still not shared real time rainfall/flood data for inflow forecasting in the catchment of the Mullaperiyar dam.
Published – August 12, 2026 02:47 pm IST
