PRACTICUM

                  

                 A STUDY ON THE MULLAPERIYAR DAM

                                                            CONTROVERSY

 Introduction                                                               

Mullaperiyar Dam

               

                                             

        The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Indian state of Kerala  It is located 881 m (2,890 ft) above mean sea level, on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala, South India. The Periyar National Park in Thekkady is located around the dam's reservoir. The dam is located in Kerala on the river Periyar, but is operated and maintained by the neighbouring state Tamil Nadu under a period of lease. The Periyar river which flows westward of kerala into the Arabian sea was diverted eastwards to flow towards the Bay of Bengal to provide water to the arid rain shadow region of Madurai in Madras Presidency which was in dire need of a greater supply of water than the small Vaigai River could provide  

  

    For Tamil Nadu, the Mullaperiyar dam and the diverted Periyar waters act as a lifeline for Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga and Ramnad districts, providing water for irrigation and drinking, and also for generation of power in Lower Periyar Power Station. Tamil Nadu has insisted on exercising its unfettered rights to control the dam and its waters, based on the 1886 lease agreement. Kerala has pointed out the unfairness in the 1886 lease agreement and has challenged its validity. However, safety concerns posed by the 119-year old dam to the safety of the people of Kerala in the event of a dam collapse, have been the focus of disputes from 2009 onwards. Kerala's proposal for decommissioning the dam and constructing a new one has been challenged by Tamil Nadu.

Need and Significance Of The Study

        Mullaperiyar Dam has been in the newspaper columns recently.It has raised some serious issues which is everthreatening the two states Kerala and Tamil Nadu  and the people living there. If an earthquake causes the dam to collapse, it can threaten the lives of 3.5 million people downstream. The issue needs to be looked at as a national problem, not as a dispute between two states.In this scenario an analysis of the issue is necessary and so the study is significant.  

    

Statement Of The Problem

     In 1979,there were few minor earthquakes experienced in the regions surrounding the dam following which safety concerns were raised over the dam. Since then, both States Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads with each other on the issue. Thus the present study is entitled as “A Study On The Mullaperiyar Dam Controversy”.

Objectives Of The Study

  The present study is an attempt :

       i.            To understand about the history of  Mullaperiyar dam.

     ii.            To analyze the problems related to dam

  iii.            To evaluate the interstate dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu regarding the dam.

Methodology

    Methodology is a system of method used for the study. Here I used reference method to carry out this study and for that I collected information from secondary sources like books, journals, articles, newspapers and internet.

Hypothesis

    The hypothesis of the study is set that the present Mullaperiyar dam crisis  should by all means seen as a national issue rather than an issue between two states. 

Limitations

    The study, as obvious, has a number of limitations. The major limitation of the study was time constraint.

History

     The unique idea of harnessing the westward flowing water of the Periyar river and diverting it to the eastward flowing Vaigai river was first explored in 1789 by Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai, a minister of the Ramnad King Muthuramalinga Sethupathy.The first attempt at damming the Periyaar with an earthen dam in 1850 was given up due to demands for higher wages by the labour citing unhealthy living conditions. The proposal was resubmitted a number of times and in 1862, Captain J. G. Ryves, M.E., carried out a study and submitted proposals in 1867 for another earthwork dam, 62 feet high. The matter was debated by the Madras Government and the matter further delayed by the terrible famine of 1876-77. Finally, in 1882, the construction of the dam was approved and Major John Pennycuick, M.E., placed in charge to prepare a revised project and estimate which was approved in 1884 by his superiors.

      On 29 October 1886, a lease indenture for 999 years was made between the Maharaja of Travancore, Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma and the British Secretary of State for India for Periyar Irrigation Works.

                                                              

      The lease agreement was signed by Dewan of Travancore V Ram Iyengar and State Secretary of Madras State J C Hannington. This lease was made after 24 years negotiation between the Maharaja and the British.

    In May 1887, construction of the dam began. As per "The Military Engineer in India" Vol II by Sandes (1935), the dam was constructed from lime stone and "surkhi" (burnt brick powder and a mixture of sugar and calcium oxide ). The Periyar project, as it was then known, was widely considered well into the 20th Century as "one of the most extraordinary feats of engineering ever performed by man". A large amount of manual labour was involved and worker mortality from malaria was high. It was claimed that had it not been for "the medicinal effects of the native spirit called arrack, the dam might never have been finished". 483 people died of diseases during the construction of this dam and were buried on-site in a cemetery just north of the dam.In 2012, it was announced that a memorial dedicated to dam engineer Pennycuick would be erected at the dam site.                                                       

Dam Safety

         After the 1979 Morvi Dam failure which killed up to 15,000 people, safety concerns of the aging Mullaperiyar dam's and alleged leaks and cracks in the structure were raised by the Kerala Government. A Kerala government institution, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram, had reported that the structure would not withstand an earthquake above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale. The dam was also inspected by the Chairman, CWC (Central Water Commission). On the orders of the CWC, the Tamil Nadu government lowered the storage level from 152 feet to 142.2 feet then to 136 feet, conducted safety repairs and strengthened the dam. Current safety concerns hinge around several issues. Since the dam was constructed using stone rubble masonry with lime mortar grouting following prevailing 19th century construction techniques that have now become archaic, seepage and leaks from the dam have caused concern. Moreover, the dam is situated in a seismically active zone. An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred on 7 June 1988 with maximum damage in Nedumkandam and Kallar (within 20 km of the dam). Consequently several tremors have occurred in the area in recent times. These could be reservoir-induced seismicity, requiring further studies according to experts.

                                                     

Interstate Dispute

                                        

     The control and safety of the dam and the validity and fairness of the lease agreement have been points of dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. Supreme court judgment came in 27 February 2006, allowing Tamil Nadu to raise the level of the dam to 152 ft (46 m) after strengthening it. Responding to it, Mullaperiyar dam was declared an 'endangered' scheduled dam by the Kerala Government under the disputed Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006. Section 62A of the Act provides for listing in the schedule, "details of the dams which are endangered on account of their age, degeneration, degradation, structural or other impediments as are specified". The Act empowers Kerala Dam Safety Authority (Authority specified in the Act) to oversee safety of dams in the State and sec 62(e) empowers the Authority to direct the custodian (of a dam) "to suspend the functioning of any dam, to decommission any dam or restrict the functioning of any dam if public safety or threat to human life or property, so require". The Authority can conduct periodical inspection of any dam listed in the schedule.

    In pursuance of Kerala's dam safety law declaring Mullaperiyar dam as an endangered dam, in September 2009, the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India granted environmental clearance to Kerala for conducting survey for new dam downstream.Tamil Nadu approached Supreme Court for a stay order against the clearance; however, the plea was rejected. Consequently, the survey was started in October 2009.

Findings Of The Study

                  The major indings of the study are as follows:

Ø Mullaperiyar dam was declared as an endangered dam by the Kerala Govt because of its damages.

Ø TamilNadu made objections that the dam has no damages.This is the main cause of the interstate dispute.

Ø Kerala has objection in the lease agreement of 1886.

Suggestions

Ø  Mullaperiyar dam crisis should by all means seen as a national issue rather than an issue between   

 two states. 

Ø The politicians need to think of the best, most secure option in order to relieve their people of the tension about the Mullaperiyar dam.

Ø The investigating committee should make a clear and suitable  study to solve the dispute.

Ø Lives of people are more important than development.

Conclusion

      The Mullaperiyar dam has been a bone of contention between the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments.From the above analysis we can conclude that the control and safety of the dam and the validity and fairness of the lease agreement have been points of dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. The Kerala Government states that it does not object to giving water to Tamil Nadu, their main cause of objection being the dam's safety as it is 116 years old. Increasing the level would add more pressure to be handled by already leaking dam. Tamil Nadu wants the 2006 order of Supreme court be implemented so as to increase the water level to 142 feet (43 m) to irrigate large tracts in the state.What we see here is a microcosm of the bigger problem that India faces with China, which is building dams on Brahmaputra.

Reference

Ø http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullaperiyar_Dam

Ø http://swapsushias.blogspot.in/2011/12/mullaperiyar-dam-issue.html#.U_qEQvldXVw

Ø Social Science Text  Book Std X

INNOVATIVE TEACHING MANUAL

MEERA SREEKUMAR

SOCIAL SCIENCE

ICT ENABLED LESSON PLAN

ON-LINE ASSIGNMENT-UTILIZATION OF INTERNET IN TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES

Meera Sreekumar

IInd Semester B. Ed.

Option: Social Science

INTRODUCTION

Science and technology have a complex interrelationship with society. While technology is the impetus to advancements in human development, technologies also contribute to the perpetuation of existing imbalances and inequities in power and diffusion of knowledge.  Technology opens the door to learning social studies skills and content in ways which were impossible in the traditional classroom.  The social studies teacher in today's classroom can use technology to extend learning opportunities for  students.  Teacher faculties can most effectively take full advantage of technology by introducing students to activities in which skills and content are taught more actively and meaningfully.  Appropriate training focuses on integrating various types of technology to make lessons better, rather than learning technology simply to acquire technological skills.

Social studies educators are living and working in the middle of a revolution–the emergence of the Internet as an integral part of education.  In classroom, teachers can combine the Internet with other instructional resources and methods.  Internet technology has had an overwhelming impact on schools and families.  Access to the web has reached critical mass, and as current initiatives strive to overcome the barriers to access often referred to as the "digital divide", continued growth will contribute to challenges for educators and parents, as children and young people go online.  Within a democratic society, citizens need various types of knowledge; consequently, educators must assess how new technology driven forms of knowledge advance the purposes of social studies education.  Although the force of this impact is immense, the rising computer culture is not fully understood.

GROWTH OF INTERNET USE IN SCHOOLS

Internet is a large collection of computer network that can communicate with each other.  When we connect our computer to the internet we become the part of the large network.  The World Wide Web (WWW) is a vast collection of documents stored on internet computers.  A web document can contain text, pictures, sound and videos.  In 1994, the federal government established a goal of linking every school to the Internet by the year 2000.  From 1994 through 1998, the percentage of public schools with Internet connections jumped from 35 percent to 89 percent.  More important is how the schools are connected.  A dedicated line is much faster than a dial-up connection and allows higher-level use of the Internet.  Since 1994, the percentage of schools with dial-up connections has dropped 52 percent, while the number of those linked by dedicated lines has risen over 26 percent.  While some troubling differences in computer access and Internet connectivity still exist between inner-city and rural schools and suburban and medium-sized city schools, the level of computer access for teachers and students is rapidly improving.

SCOPE OF INTERNET IN SCHOOLS

Using Primary Sources

Teachers have long recognized the value of students reading accounts of historical events written in the words of those who were there.  The Internet opens the way to an enormous range of resources.  For instance imagine reading Tacitus's eyewitness account of the burning of Rome, including the descriptions of "terrified, shrieking women" and "helpless old and young" fleeing the conflagration, or Corporal E. C. Nightingale's frightening memories from on the deck of the battleship Arizona in 1941.  Both of these are available to teachers and students at [http://www.ibiscom.com], one of several commercial web sites that provide superb resources for teachers and students.

School or Class Portals

One of the best ways to use the Internet to help students and teachers is to create a "portal" site for a school's social studies department.  A portal is a World Wide Web site designed to serve as a main "point of entry" to the web, and features an extensive catalog of web sites and other Internet resources, a search engine, or both.  Portal sites for individual grade levels, subjects, or courses are frequently part of a school's larger portal site.  Portals especially for teachers can include links to the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) site, professional development opportunities and other resources. Student pages can include homework assignments, a course syllabus, links to resources specifically tailored to class assignments, and even grading rubrics.  In some communities, parents are encouraged to use these sites to stay informed of student assignments and school news.

Virtual Field Trips

Teachers and students can take field trips via the Internet.  From a visit to the White House to exhibitions of African and pre-Columbian Native American art in the famed Art Institute of Chicago to a tour of the Egyptian pyramids and many such historical and contemporary sites are just a few mouse clicks away.  Additionally, since many of the virtual field trip sites are designed specifically for education, they feature lesson plans and student activities, many of which are interactive.  One of the best sites for tours and well-designed instructional materials is the Discovery Channel Online [http://www.discovery.com].  But do not stop with "taking" students on field trips in the classroom or assigning students to view field trips as part of an individual or group assignment.  Students can create their own virtual field trips of local historical sites, or even of their school.  Once they see a few field trip sites, they will understand how to design their own sites.  With a digital camera and a bit of practice, students can create excellent projects.

"Publishing" Student Work

Everything that teachers once displayed on bulletin boards, from traditional essays to student artwork, can be posted on classroom or school portal sites.  Even more elaborate projects, such as the five-day world journey described above, can be published on the site.

Lesson Plans

There is an almost overwhelming number of web sites with lesson plans.  Some of them are designed specifically for the content on their site.  Nearly all of them can provide useful ideas for teachers, although the lessons may require some revision to meet specific needs of local curriculum guides and student/teacher needs.  Just type "social studies lesson plans" into any Internet search engine and be prepared for thousands of hits.

INTERNET IN TEACHING SOCIAL SCIENCE

In Social Studies teaching internet has following functions:

i.            E-mailing: The electronic mail service enhance the communication and global perspectives of the students.

ii.            Remote login: The users anywhere in the world can login to any other machine on which they have an account.

iii.            News and Information: Thousands of news groups such as topics including Social Studies, recreation and Politics are available in the internet which can enrich Social Studies learning.

iv.            Transfer of Files: Vast number of articles, database and other information from internet and virtual libraries can be copied from one machine on the internet to another.

CONCLUSION

If technology is truly to impact both pedagogical competence, as well as increase content knowledge in the social studies, the apex of the instructional delivery system—the instructor—must be the continual focus of these beliefs.  As such, both professional development and research efforts must be at the forefront of infusing these principles, if instructional efforts involving technology and the social studies are to truly reform classrooms.  Using technology successfully requires a constant and consistent training program.  The most effective integration of technology for enhancing learning in social studies has been found to engage students in inquiry centered around authentic, complex, real world problems in order to develop higher order thinking and problem solving skills.  These technology enhanced learning environments allow for student control over the learning activities, provide opportunities for students to think critically and analytically about information, provide a variety of information resources and tools for constructing knowledge to solve these problems, and engage students in representing and creatively applying the resultant new knowledge.  While such learning experiences have been found to be very successful with older students, young children need to begin building an understanding of how to navigate in these student controlled learning environments.

Despite the dramatic rise in Internet users, new technologies have contributed to a global race for knowledge which has enticed resource rich countries to add technological pursuit of knowledge to their goals, while developing countries remain poorly connected.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 95% of public schools and 63% of classrooms are connected to the Internet.  While many educators would agree that the Internet provides an extraordinary opportunity for enriching teaching and learning, they also hear about the dangers or risks of cyberspace.

Immersion of children and youth into the computer culture elicits many questions focusing on the enhancement of this context for promoting teaching and learning.  Concerns include issues of how children will be transformed by this interaction, what role moral reasoning has in cyberspace, whether a deeper sense of identity is fostered, and how prepared the young are to manage the risks found online.  Researchers should continue to evaluate the influence of technology on social studies, and should seek to provide exemplary models for the infusion of technology within social studies methods of instruction.

REFERENCES

Ø  Kumar,SPK & Noushad,P.P.(2011):Social Studies in the Classroom: Trends and Methods.

Ø http://www.edudemic.com/the-importance-of-internet-access-in-schools/

Ø http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-of-the-internet-in-education.html

Ø http://library.educationworld.net/a10/a10-141.html

Ø http://www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-teaching-social-studies.html

Ø http://www.kidsource.com/education/teaching.ss.internet.html

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Power Point Presentation-Dams