Tamil Nadu agrees to Kerala riders on Mullaiperiyar repair works
THENI: Amid political war of words over allegations about Kerala blocking Tamil Nadu officials from carrying out maintenance work at Mullaiperiyar dam, Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (WRD) K Manivasan on Friday told TNIE that the Tamil Nadu government has agreed to carry out maintenance work at Mullaiperiyar dam by accepting certain conditions imposed by Kerala, including the right of the executive engineer of Minor Irrigations Department of Kerala to supervise the work.
“Our priority is to complete the maintenance work at the dam. Tamil Nadu government will take the next course of action after consulting legal experts,” Manivasan said.
Earlier on Friday, Theni Collector RV Shajeevana announced that Kerala forest department has permitted Tamil Nadu PWD vehicles to carry equipment and materials for carrying out the maintenance work at the dam.
Three days ago, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan informed the TN Assembly that talks will be held with Kerala regarding the dam maintenance.
On May 7, PWD sent a detailed estimate on 13 types of maintenance works to be carried out at the Mullaiperiyar main dam and baby dam. Tamil Nadu engineers sent a letter to Kerala in this regard and also met their counterparts in person and explained the significance of the work.
Even the engineers from Kerala inspected the workplace six months ago. All these works were to have been completed before the onset of northeast monsoon, but were not carried out because of lack of approval from Kerala, sources said.
On December 4, two PWD lorries carrying sand were denied entry at Vallakadavu check post at Periyar Tiger Reserve Forest area by the Kerala forest department and the lorries had to return to Tamil Nadu after dumping their sand load near the check post after waiting for permission to enter Kerala for four days.
Sources said on Thursday, Kerala Executive Engineer of Mullaiperiyar Division (Irrigation) Levins Babu Cottur sent a letter to Deputy Director of Periyar Tiger Reserve imposing the conditions for permitting Tamil Nadu to carry out the maintenance work, a copy of which was marked to TN officials.
Speaking to TNIE, Ranjithkumar, an officer-bearer of TN Farmers Association, slammed the Kerala government for imposing such conditions. “It is unusual for the minor irrigations department of Kerala to impose conditions on Tamil Nadu PWD and this is against the SC order.
Kerala government is slowly taking all steps to remove the rights of PWD over the maintenance of Mullaiperiyar dam. If Tamil Nadu government allows this, Kerala may very well approach the Supreme Court, and get any order in their favour using this as a precedent,” he said.
