Lasting Rose

DAM 999, a movie released today about a 110 year old dam, built to last for a meagre 50 years using mud and mortar, which bursts during an earthquake, is itself in the middle of a political storm and has caught the world’s attention. The flick is about the Mullapperiyar Dam in Kerala, an idyllic state in the union of India and the last place on earth where people still believe in communism.

At the heart of the political storm is a water sharing agreement for 999 years, irrelevant in any civilised part of the world, which put the life of three million people. at great risk, as it doesn’t take in to account the aging of the dam built to harness the Periyar River. Entered in to before the Indian independence by the British who occupied the neighbouring state of Tamilnad and the princely state of Kerala, the ridiculous agreement does not provide for the construction of a new dam to replace the old one. The problem really is while Tamilnad receives the collected water for irrigation and power the river actually flows to the opposite side to the thickly populated Kerala and will engulf and sweep three million people if and when the dam burst in a catastrophic earth quake as depicted in the movie.

The UAE-Indian film has become controversial as the state of Tamilnad has prohibited its release and exhibition in its cinemas, accusing the producers of scare mongering among the vast population and the state of Kerala for secretly funding the movie. The producers on the other hand are approaching the supreme court of India for the obstruction of civil liberty rights and losses.

The movie, which is getting reasonable response for its worldwide release is certainly aided by the controversy and the recent tremors in the region where the dam is located.

DAM 999 has inadvertently raised the awareness of an explosive issue the world is facing, with nearly four thousand dams worldwide facing similar problems from aging

DAM 999 and the Mullapperiyar which has recently witnessed several tremors measuring up to five on the scale, have taken the political union of India nearly bursting through its seems with a stand off between the two neighbouring states which are heavily and mutually dependent for water, agriculture and employment. Tamilnad has banned the screening of the film while Kerala is witnessing a rare political consensus aghast at the callousness of their neighbours for the loss of millions of people.

The dispute had been simmering ever since the dam surpassed its recommended life in 1979. With the archaic laws dating back the British raj and equally archaic views and jurisprudence of the Indian Supreme court which makes it its business to rule on issues from road repair to sophisticated revenue projections from 2 g spectrum, the dam has deteriorated to an alarming level of reliability.

The question is who controls the dam's spill ways. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr Oommen Chandy has promised serious action. While the argument goes on the dam must be drained to bring down the level to ensure the safety of the dam and the lives of the people. No supreme court can overrule engineering realities on the safety of three million lives. Kerala government must compensate Tamilnad till a new dam is built and water supply restored. The funds should be provided by the central Government.

Originally published in TECHNORATI.COM as DAM 999 - Will It Burst And Take The Unity Of India With It?