Mullaperiyar Dam
Mullaperiyar Dam is a dam constructed over the headwaters of Periyar river in Kerala, India. The Periyar Tiger Reserve,Thekkady is located around the Periyar reservoir formed by the backwaters of the dam.
Name
The name is derived from the portmanteau of Mullayar and Periyar.As the dam is located after confluence of Mullayar river and Periyar river, the dam came to be called as Mullaperiyar.
History
The stucture was concieved by the British during the Colonial rule to divert the waters of periyar river eastwards [1] through the construction of a masonry dam, and taking the water from the reservoir through a tunnel cut across the watershed and Western Ghats to arid rain shadow regions of Theni, Madurai District, Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram Districts of Tamilnadu[2] . The Princely State of Travancore [3] was forced [4] to sign a treaty in 1886 in this regard to lease the dam site for 999 years to the then Madras government.
The dam was built by the British Army Engineering corps.The First Dam was washed away by the floods,and a second Masonry Dam was constructed in 1895.
Disputes
The Government of Tamil Nadu has proposed to increase the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 132 feet to 142 feet.The Kerala Government has opposed this move stating saftey concerns of the more than hundred year old bridge especially to the thickly populated districts downstream.
Historical Background
Notes
- ^ which flows westwards to the Arabian Sea
- ^ Which were Under the British Rule as the Madras Province
- ^ Presently part of kerala, was a protectorate under the British rule at that time.
- ^ R. Krishnakumar, Frontline, Volume 23 - Issue 05, Mar. 11 - 24, 2006.
References
