NEW DELHI: In a setback to the Kerala Government, the Supreme Court Wednesday struck down a law promulgated by it declaring Mullaperiyar dam as endangered, and restrained it from obstructing Tamil Nadu government to raise the water level. The court ordered to raise the water level to 142 feet.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice R M Lodha directed the Kerala government not to implement the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006.
It also appointed a three-member committee comprising representatives of the Centre and the governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to supervise the safety of the dam periodically.
It empowered the committee to issue directions for ensuring the safety of the dam.
The apex court had on August 21, last year, reserved its verdict on the legal battle between Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments over Mullaperiyar dam.
There had been differences between the two states over the safety of the dam. While Tamil Nadu contended the dam was safe and its water level had to be raised from 132 feet to 136 feet, Kerala maintained that the structure was weak and needed to be replaced.
As tension between the two states rose in December 2011, a two-member technical team of the apex court-appointed Empowered Committee had visited the site and concluded that recent tremors in that region did not have any impact on the dam and that it was safe.
UDF hartal in Idukki tomorrow
THODUPUZHA: A dawn to dusk hartal will be observed by the UDF in the district in protest against Supreme Court’s verdict in the Mullaperiyar issue. Meantime, Mullaperiyar Agitation Council has called for a state wide hartal against the court’s verdict.
Govt failed to convince Centre, SC: VS
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan has said that the government had failed to convince the Supreme Court and the Centre of the seriousness of Mullaperiyar dam security.
He also demanded that the government urgently convene an Assembly meeting to discuss the issue. “The SC order is unfortunate. If some damages happen to Mullaperiyar dam, it would endanger the lives of about 35 lakh people living in Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam. Moreover, there will a total blackout in Kerala,” pointed out Achuthanandan.
He also demanded that the government urgently convene an Assembly meeting to discuss the issue. “The SC order is unfortunate. If some damages happen to Mullaperiyar dam, it would endanger the lives of about 35 lakh people living in Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam. Moreover, there will a total blackout in Kerala,” pointed out Achuthanandan.
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