The apex court has decided to hear a petition on August 24 seeking to reduce the water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam to 130 feet during the months from July to September, when the monsoon is strongest. The bench, headed by Justice AM Khanwilker, said that the parties in the case, including Kerala, could express their views on lowering the water level.
Russell Joy, a native of Idukki, had approached the Supreme Court seeking that the water level in the dam is reduced to 130 feet during the monsoon. In 2018, the Supreme Court had directed Tamil Nadu to reduce the water level of the dam to 139.9 feet following a petition filed by Russell Joy. The 2018 application is currently pending before the court. The apex court said the new application could be considered along with this.
Tamil Nadu government lawyers have objected to the Supreme Court hearing the issue again. However, Wills Mathew, counsel for the petitioner, pointed out that the Supreme Court has not yet made its final decision on whether to reduce the water level during the monsoon. Standing Consul G Prakash appeared for Kerala. The application states that between January 1 and May 30, 2020, there were 62 earthquakes in the Mullaperiyar region. This points to the possibility of a major earthquake. People live in great fear. Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Idukki districts will be severely affected if the dam collapses.