A Supreme Court bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilka on March 16, 2021 ordered the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary to give information on the ‘rule curve’ for the Mullaperiyar dam to the Supreme Court-appointed Supervisory Committee.
- Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has blamed Kerala for delaying the finalisation of the ‘rule curve’ for the 123-year-old dam.
What is Rule Curve: The ‘rule curve’ specifies levels to be maintained in the reservoir at different times in a year. In a dam it decides the fluctuating storage levels in a reservoir. The gate opening schedule of a dam is based on the ‘rule curve’. It is part of the “core safety” mechanism in a dam.
- The Mullaperiyar Dam was constructed during 1887-1895. Its full reservoir level is 152 ft and it provides water through a tunnel to Vaigai basin in Tamil Nadu for irrigation benefits in 68558 ha area.
- The Mullaperiyar Dam, which exists on the Periyar river, is an ongoing water legal dispute between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
