Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured that there is no immediate need to worry about the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam, which is over 125 years old and situated in the high-range district of Idukki.

He also reaffirmed that the state government will maintain its current stance on the matter. He was responding to reporters’ questions on Thursday concerning the reported safety concerns raised by Congress MP Dean Kuriakose about the dam in the Lok Sabha.

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“There is no need to be concerned with regard to the Mullaperiyar dam at the moment. The stand by the state government on the issue will continue,” Vijayan said.

In the Lok Sabha, Kuriakose reportedly referred to the Mullaperiyar dam, built in 1895, as a “water bomb” and called for its decommissioning. While Tamil Nadu insists that the dam is “absolutely safe,” Kerala has been strongly advocating for the construction of a new dam near the current structure.

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The water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam stood at 131.40 feet, with a maximum permissible level of 142 feet. The dam had an inflow of 1,005 cusecs and a discharge of 1,400 cusecs. Meanwhile, the Vaigai Dam’s water level was recorded at 56.89 feet, compared to its maximum level of 71 feet, with an inflow of 1,278 cusecs and a discharge of 969 cusecs. The combined storage in the Periyar credit was 6,644.99 million cubic feet (mcft).

Rainfall recorded in the 24 hours ending at 6 am on Wednesday was as follows (in millimeters): Andipatti – 43.4 mm, Pulipatti – 35.6 mm, Idayapatti – 32 mm, Melur – 23 mm, Thaniyamangalam – 19 mm, Kodaikanal – 17.6 mm, Chittampatti – 16.8 mm, Kallandiri – 15.8 mm, Madurai – 8.4 mm, Peranai – 7.6 mm, Sothupparai Dam – 6 mm, Kuppanampatti – 5 mm, Sathiyar Dam – 4.4 mm, Viraganur – 3 mm, Periyapatti – 2.6 mm, Marudhanadhi Dam and Mettupatti – 2.4 mm each, Manjalar Dam – 2 mm, Uthamapalayam and Vaigai Dam – 1.2 mm each, and Veerapandi – 0.4 mm.