Kerala   

Kerala asks Tamil Nadu to `correct' dam decision

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran has asked Tamil Nadu to "correct" its "unilateral decision" against allowing officials of Kerala to inspect the Mullaperiyar dam even as an all-party delegation from the State is all set to meet the Prime Minister on August 31 to seek his intervention in the issue. The Minister made the demand in an official pressnote issued here on Tuesday in the context of the denial of permission by Tamil Nadu to a team of officials from Kerala to monitor the dam continuously for 10 days as per the recommendations of the Dam Safety Committee of Kerala, which visited the dam after a tremor experienced in its vicinity recently.

He said the Kerala Government viewed Tamil Nadu's action seriously. He asked Tamil Nadu to change its decision taking into consideration the threat which the dam posed to the life and property of the people in the districts of Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta.

Mr. Premachandran contended that Kerala's concern about the safety of the dam had increased with the blocking by the Tamil Nadu Government of its bid to find out whether the safety of the dam had been further endangered by the tremor. He urged Tamil Nadu to maintain the mutual cordiality. He stated that the dam had been constructed by Tamil Nadu on land taken on lease by it from Kerala. It was against the agreement concerned and the violation of existing laws to prevent officials from Kerala from entering that land and ascertaining the safety of the dam. If the right to enter land given on lease was denied, Kerala had the legal authority to cancel the lease. But Kerala was of the view that mature talks and decision were needed on the issue, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Kerala asks Tamil Nadu to `correct' dam decision
Consortium representative fails to appear before panel
A range of jute products on display
Friendship beyond silver screen
Saying it with flowers
Where citizens go that extra mile
Glimpses of a great mind
Doubts over report
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu