MULLAPERIYAR—KERALAFILED PETITION TO HIGHER LEVEL COMMITTEE

MULLAPERIYAR—KERALAFILED PETITION TO HIGHER LEVEL COMMITTEE

Kerala on Monday,21st November, 2011, filed a petition with the Mullaperiyar higher authority committee of SC seeking to re-examine the order of the Supreme Court higher-level committee, which rejected the report of IIT Rourkee that Mullaperiyar dam would be destroyed if there are high-prone tremors in Idukki. The state submitted the petition due to increasing number of tremors in Idukki. Representatives of Mullaperiyar special cell, who were in Delhi, filed the petition. Kerala also filed a petition seeking the report of various agencies that examined the dam as per the instruction of higher-level committee.

Experts of Rourkee IIT gave two reports after studying chances for tremors in Idukki. The first report was on the magnitude of tremors in Idukki and Kerala forwarded the report to SC. But the second report, which contained the results of such quakes, was rejected by the higher-level committee citing delay in submission of the report. Kerala has sought re-examination of the same.

Kerala stands in the third zone in relation to quake-prone areas. In zone three, there are chances for quakes measuring up to 6.1. In December 2000 there was a quake in Irattupetta, which recorded 5 in the Richter scale. So far tremors, which are less in power, occurred near the dam. It is also not confirmed what effect the recent quake have made in the dam. 

                                                                    Prof. John Kurakar