The Supreme Court has warned the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary against the failure to give information on the rule curve for Mullaperiyar dam.

Do you know?

The Mullaperiyar dam is located in Kerala on the river Periyar but is operated and maintained by the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

What is the Rule Curve?

• A rule curve or rule level specifies the storage or empty space to be maintained in a reservoir during different times of the year.
• Here the implicit assumption is that a reservoir can best satisfy its purposes if the storage levels specified by the rule curve are maintained in the reservoir at different times.
• 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.

Why such a move?

• During the high-voltage hearing, the Tamil Nadu government blamed Kerala for delaying the finalization of the rule curve for the 123-year-old dam.
• Kerala government has accused Tamil Nadu of adopting an “obsolete” gate operation schedule dating back to 1939.

About Mullaperiyar Dam

• Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Indian state of Kerala.
• It is located on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala.
• It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick and also reached an agreement to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area (present-day Tamil Nadu).
• It has a height of 53.6 m from the foundation, and a length of 365.7 m.
• The Periyar National Park in Thekkady is located around the dam’s reservoir.
• The dam is built at the confluence of Mullayar and Periyar rivers.

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