Kochi: Mullaperiyar Dam expert committee has witnessed Kerala’s representative T K Sivarajan being replaced by Prof M L Sharma of IIT Roorkee, Uttar Pradesh.
The central government citing “personal reasons” for the change. The removal of the Kerala-nominated member has sparked major concerns.
Prof. M.L. Sharma, is the head of the International Center of Excellence for Dams at IIT Roorkee.
The Kerala state government was not officially informed of the change prior to the issuance of the new order on June 16.
Formed in January 2026 under the directives of the Supreme Court and the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), the expert panel is chaired by former National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) CMD Balraj Joshi.
The committee was originally tasked with inspecting the dam and submitting a comprehensive safety report within four months, media reports said.
The deadline faced significant delays reportedly due to Tamil Nadu’s displeasure over the panel’s earlier composition.
The exclusion of the state’s nominated expert has raised questions over transparency and prompted protests from Kerala.
The Mullaperiyar Dam is a 129-year-old masonry gravity dam located in Idukki district in Kerala. It is operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu under a 999-year British-era lease.
