The Mullaperiyar Dam
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
Kerala will never agree to raising the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki district, Minister for Water Resources Mons Joseph said in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
Mr. Joseph reacted strongly to the announcement in the 2026-27 Tamil Nadu State Budget, presented on Wednesday, regarding Tamil Nadu’s plans to “pursue” the raising of the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam. The Kerala government sticks to its declared stand that a new dam has to be built in Mullaperiyar to replace the existing structure which is 131 years old, Mr. Joseph said.
Following the Tamil Nadu Budget announcement, Mr. Joseph chaired a high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram and also held discussions with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. “Kerala’s stand is very clear on this issue. The primary requirement is a new dam in Mullaperiyar. The State has put forward a suggestion that guarantees the safety of the people of Kerala and water for Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Joseph said.
The Supreme Court has so far accepted an approach where the water level is maintained at 142 ft. When Tamil Nadu pressed for raising the level, the court had recommended an examination of issues related to the safety of the dam. But Tamil Nadu (which operates the dam) is yet to carry out the comprehensive dam safety evaluation which has to be completed by December 31, 2026, the Minister said.
At the same time, the United Democratic Front (UDF) government has decided to explore the possibility of holding discussions with Tamil Nadu for arriving at a consensus on the issue. The Kerala government, with the approval of the Supreme Court and the Union government, will explore all possible avenues for arriving at an agreement with Tamil Nadu, he said.
The Union government has also approved Kerala’s nomination of Ashutosh Dash, former Chief Engineer, Odisha, to the Independent Panel of Experts (IPoE) on the Mullaperiyar Dam, Mr. Joseph said.
Published – August 05, 2026 09:31 pm IST
