Mullaperiyar damKumily: The British-era bridge that was washed away in Mahad in Maharashtra was built with the same material as the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala. The tragedy reinforces the argument to build a new dam on the border with Tamil Nadu to replace the 121-year-old dam built with lime and a mixture called surki.
Mahad bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway that collapsed in torrential rain.Almost half of the bridge on the Savitri River was washed away in heavy rains. The bridge was built in 1928, while the Mullaperiyar dam precedes it by 33 years. The dam that supplies water for irrigating large swathes of Tamil Nadu has been leaking since as early as 1977.
Mahad bridge tragedy: 14 bodies recovered, 42 missing
The dam had become a threatening structure 82 years after its construction. The Mahad bridge’s collapse in its 88th year builds the case for a new dam at Mullaperiyar.
Reports from institutions, including the IIT, have said that the dam could be vulnerable if water overflows in the monsoon, similar to what had happened in Mahad.
The Mullaperiyar dam got an extended life only because of the repair works carried out after the leaks were reported in 1977. The Central Water Commission had recommended repairs as a temporary arrangement until a new dam was built. A team, including the Central Water Commission chairman, had even identified the land to build the new dam.
Mullaperiyar DamThe Tamil Nadu government, however, has been fiercely objecting to the demand for a new dam, saying that the support dam built to take the load off the old structure was as good as a new dam. The cable anchoring has also strengthened the dam, Tamil Nadu has argued.
However, the dam has been weakening over the years as the surki mixture erodes with the seeping water. The amount of the erosion was evident from the amount of cement - about 1,000 sacks - needed to fill the boreholes drilled into the dam as part of a safety test two years ago.
The Supreme Court had allowed raising the water levels in the dam citing experts’ opinions. Until Tuesday, some experts had believed that motor transport on the Mahad bridge was safe.
