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Supreme Court verdict on Mullaperiyar dam

· Mullaperiyar Dam

Supreme Court verdict on Mullaperiyar dam
Rameshng at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Supreme Court allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the Mullaperiyar reservoir level to 142 feet and struck down Kerala's law restricting it.

The Mullaperiyar Dam, located in Kerala but operated by Tamil Nadu under a colonial-era lease, supplies irrigation water to southern Tamil Nadu districts. Kerala had passed a law in 2006 limiting the water level on safety grounds. In May 2014 a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held the Kerala law unconstitutional and allowed the level to be raised to 142 feet. The court also set up a supervisory committee to oversee the dam's safety.

Related events

  1. 1886

    1. 29 Oct 1886Mullaperiyar DamAgriculture

      Periyar lease agreement with Travancore

      A 999-year lease for the Periyar irrigation works, signed by Travancore and the Secretary of State for India, later underpinned the Mullaperiyar dispute.

  2. 1895

    1. 1895Mullaperiyar DamAgriculture

      Mullaperiyar Dam completed

      The Periyar dam, built under John Pennycuick between 1887 and 1895, began diverting water east to the Madurai region of the Madras Presidency.

  3. 1970

    1. 1970Mullaperiyar DamAgriculture

      Mullaperiyar lease agreement renewed with Kerala

      The 1886 Periyar lease was renewed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala in 1970, with a higher rent and a new charge on power produced from the water.

  4. 1979

    1. 1979Mullaperiyar DamInfrastructure

      Mullaperiyar dam safety dispute begins

      Kerala's safety fears about Mullaperiyar dam after the 1979 Morvi disaster led Tamil Nadu to cut its storage level to 136 feet and reinforce the structure.

  5. 2006

    1. 27 Feb 2006Mullaperiyar DamLaw Justice

      Supreme Court allows higher Mullaperiyar level; Kerala passes dam law

      The Supreme Court allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the Mullaperiyar dam's level to 142 feet; Kerala responded with a law capping it at 136 feet.

  6. 2018

    1. 16 Feb 2018New DelhiLaw Justice

      Supreme Court final verdict on Cauvery waters

      The Supreme Court reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water slightly and ordered a scheme for implementation, leading to the Cauvery Water Management Authority.

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