The New Indian Express ·
Need to recognise light at the end of the tunnel
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan recently stated that a new dam at Mullaperiyar alone can resolve the state’s safety concerns over the age-old structure. He was only reiterating the public stance taken by previous Kerala governments. The state of Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, has been opposing the proposal throughout.
The idea may be found unfeasible even on the grounds of ecology, economy or practicality. Let it be assumed that the gravity masonry dam poses a potential threat to Keralites on account of its age and fragility. Just because some earlier expert bodies had confirmed the dam’s safety, it may not stand as an eternal guarantee. Yet, if a new dam is to be constructed for that reason alone, it might result in a technological fallacy.
Given that the average life-span of such a dam is considered to be about 100 years, Kerala would need to construct new dams at such gaps in the time to come. This will have to be done at an ecologically-sensitive area in the Periyar wildlife sanctuary. Environmental clearance for such a project would be extremely difficult. “No more dams” and “Damn the dams” were the slogans of environmental movements across the world towards the end of the last century. Ecologist Patrick McCully’s classic work, Silenced Rivers: The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams, shows the devastating impact of large dams.
