MADURAI: The Kerala forest department officials have been advised not to block transportation of construction materials for maintenance work at Mullaiperiyar dam.
This was decided at the review meeting held by the members of Supervisory Committee at Thekkady on Monday.
The Supreme Court appointed three-member Supervisory Committee carried out an inspection of the century-old dam as the storage neared 136 feet and also advanced its review meeting to Monday.
The meeting, which was attended by committee members comprising its chairman and Dam Safety Organisation Chief Engineer LAV Nathan, Tamil Nadu PWD Secretary M Sai Kumar and Kerala Water Resources Department Additional Chief Secretary V J Kurien, was held at the Periyar Star Hotel owned by Kerala tourism department at Thekkday.
Speaking to reporters after the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Supervisory Committee chairman Nathan said, “Kerala forest officials working at Vallakaavu check post have been asked not to prevent movement of transport of materials for maintenance work of Mullaiperiyar dam.”
“We reviewed the work carried out by the sub-committee and asked it to submit its assessment report on storage level of the dam every week,” he said.
Possibility of laying a six-km road from Vallakadavu to Mullaiperiyar dam and laying cables to bring power to the facility also figured during the review meeting held by the panel.
“To solve the dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, we have asked Kerala forest officials to give a report on rainfall, air density in Mullaikudi and Thandikudi areas on a daily basis to Tamil Nadu officials. And once in a week, Public Works Department officials from TN and Kerala forest department would jointly make an assessment in these areas,” informed Nathan adding, “top officials from Kerala forest department have been invited to participate in the next meeting.”
Meanwhile Tamil Nadu PWD Secretary M Sai Kumar said that the State Government has been working towards increasing the storage level to 152 feet. “The level in the dam is steadily raising and it will soon reach 142 feet,” he said.
The Supervisory Committee has decided to meet again on October 20. In case, the level reaches 140 feet before that date, the meeting would also be advanced, said Nathan.