TIRUCHY: Amid reports that Kerala officials were not allowing Tamil Nadu engineers to fill the test bore-holes drilled to check the strength of Mullaiperiyar dam, Tamil Nadu PWD Senior Engineers Association on Saturday said Tamil Nadu should deploy its police foce at Thekkadi and the dam site as the ownership was vested with it.
S Jayaraman, executive member of the association said, “The test bore-holes made inside the body of the dam have not been grouted till date due to hindrance from the Kerala Police. These ungrouted holes may pose danger to the stability of dam...” Alleging a plot on the part of Kerala to deny the due rights of the Government of Tamil Nadu, Jayaraman dwelt at length on the Mullaiperiyar issue between the two states. He listed out TANSEA’s critical observations and suggestions, in the monthly meeting held here, on Saturday.
Jayaraman pointed out that the appointment of Dr Justice Anand Empowered Committee was a redundant exercise to ascertain the strength of the dam as the Dr B K Mittal Committee constituted by the Supreme Court during March 2001 at the instance of the CWC had already certified its structural stability.
“It is to be remembered that AG Dhandapani of Kerala filed an affidavit in the High Court of Kerala during December 2011, which said in the worst case, Idukki Dam and Cheruthoni Dam would receive the entire water of MPD without any problem,” said Jayaraman.
Further, Jayaraman, drew upon Dr Justice Anand’s Empowered Committee, which exceeded its brief by suggesting alternative resolutions without understanding the issue in its entirety, which would delay the OS No 3 of 2006 of TN and consequently, the water and power benefits of the State of Tamil Nadu, to the tune of `780 crore will be unnecessarily delayed while permitting Kerala to gain `1800 crore by tourism.
“Also, Kerala did not/does not furnish any data, documents, evidence to prove its claim that the MPD will fail if water level is raised to 142 and 152 feet and further, that people and property in Kerala would be flooded,” said Jayaraman.