Kerala: There is no need to worry about the safety of Mullaperiyar dam at present

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that as of now, there is no need to worry about the safety of the over 125-year-old Mullaperiyar dam located in Idukki district. Vijayan also said that the stand taken by the state government so far on the issue will continue.

He was responding to questions from reporters on Congress MP Dean Kuriakose’s alleged safety concerns over the dam in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. “There is no need to worry about the Mullaperiyar dam as of now. The state government’s stand on the issue will continue,” Vijayan said. In the Lok Sabha, Kuriakose had reportedly described the dam as a “water bomb” and demanded that it be shut down. The Mullaperiyar dam was constructed in 1895. Tamil Nadu says the dam is “absolutely safe”, while Kerala has been vocal about its demand for a new dam to be built near the existing structure.