Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami on Friday rejected Kerala’s allegation that water released from Mullaperiyar dam caused flooding in the southern state and termed the claim “false and baseless”.
The Kerala Government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the sudden release of the water from the Mullaperiyar dam is one of the reasons of flooding in the state.
Responding to Kerala’s claim, Palaniswami said, “If you say, excess water was discharged from one dam (Mullaperiyar) then how did water reach all parts of Kerala? The excess discharge of water from 80 dams caused flooding in Kerala.”
“Water from Mullaperiyar Dam was released one week after the floods struck Kerala. It was not done immediately after the floods. Three warnings were issued, first at 139 feet, second at 141 feet and third warning at 142 feet. Water was released in a phased manner,” Palaniswami added.
Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been at loggerheads since the formation of Mullaperiyar Dam. The dam is located in Kerala’s Idukki district near Thekkady on Periyar River, but is operated by the Tamil Nadu Government.
