THENI: It has been 19 years since the Kerala government disconnected power supply to the Mullaiperiyar Dam site after an elephant was electrocuted near Vallakadu when it came in contact with an overhead electric wire in 2000.
From then on, Tamil Nadu government has been shelling out tens of thousands of rupees to provide power to the dam site, hoping that sooner or later Kerala forest department would grant permission to lay underground cables and restore main power supply to the site. However, that day is yet to come.
After the electrocution of the pachyderm and the subsequent disconnection of power supply, the Tamil Nadu government, in two instalments, had given a sum of Rs 1.65 crore to the Kerala government against charges of laying underground cables that would bring electricity to the dam site. However, progress to this end has been negligible. Notably, the State government is paying Rs 2,000 as metre charge to the Kerala Electricity Board.