Kerala Urges Tamil Nadu to Draw More Water as Mullaperiyar Dam Water Level Rises

Thiruvananthapuram: Minister Roshy Augustine has said that Kerala has sent a letter to Tamil Nadu requesting them to draw more water from the Mullaperiyar dam as the water level has been rising. Following this request, Tamil Nadu began diverting more water through the tunnel starting Friday, the minister said.

On Thursday evening, the water level in Mullaperiyar stood at 140.20 feet. Although the rule curve allows a maximum storage capacity of 142 feet, Kerala requested that the level be maintained below 140 feet by releasing more water. Tamil Nadu accepted Kerala’s request and initiated steps to divert additional water.

Kerala sent the letter as a precaution to prevent the water level from rising rapidly due to unexpected rains. After Tamil Nadu began drawing more water, the level has started falling towards 140 feet. Kerala took this step in light of the incident on the night of October 17, when intense rainfall caused the water level to rise by more than four feet within five hours — from 132.90 feet to 137 feet.