Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government will approach the Supreme Court with a special petition seeking the immediate implementation of its 2024 judgment that permitted a comprehensive and independent safety evaluation of the Mullaperiyar dam, Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph announced at a press briefing in the state capital on Monday, November 2.
Source: Free Press Journal via The Arabian Post
Joseph said the state cabinet has appointed senior advocate Mohan V. Kattarki as lead counsel to represent Kerala before the apex court. Alongside the petition, Kerala will formally request the Centre's active intervention to resolve the prolonged interstate dispute with Tamil Nadu over the reservoir's operations and maintenance.
Source: Nation Press
The minister said Kerala has already informed the Supreme Court that it has complied with the conditions stipulated by the court concerning the Baby Dam strengthening project. Kerala maintains that a modern, scientific safety inspection under judicial oversight is essential to establish the ageing masonry structure's present condition and to protect the downstream population in Idukki district.
A century-old dam, two states, opposite positions
The Mullaperiyar dam is a masonry structure built across the Periyar river in Kerala's Idukki district. Although it stands within Kerala, Tamil Nadu operates the reservoir under longstanding arrangements and uses its waters for irrigation and other needs. The Supreme Court's 2014 judgment permitted Tamil Nadu to maintain the reservoir level at 142 feet and set up a supervisory mechanism to oversee safety, and in May 2025 the court directed both governments to act on the Mullaperiyar Supervisory Committee's recommendations on maintenance and safety.
Kerala has long argued that routine inspections cannot substitute for a comprehensive technical evaluation covering structural integrity, seismic resistance and flood safety, and it favours replacing the existing structure with a new dam. Tamil Nadu, which operates the reservoir, has consistently defended the dam's safety and maintains that pending strengthening measures, including work associated with the Baby Dam, are the appropriate response.
The announcement came alongside a broader overhaul of Kerala's water administration: a comprehensive water policy is planned for early 2027, a Kerala Water Conclave will be held in Thiruvananthapuram in the first week of December, and safety assessments of 22 dams under the Irrigation Department and the Water Authority are to be completed by December 31, 2026.
What happens next will be decided in court: once Kerala files the special petition, the Supreme Court will take up whether the 2024-authorised comprehensive safety inspection must now be carried out, and both states will have to place their positions on the dam's condition before the bench.