CHENNAI: Taking exception to the allocation of Rs.215 crore for constructing a check dam across Palar river by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Tuesday said two cases filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging the Andhra Pradesh government’s move to respectively construct a new dam and to increase the height of few check dams across Palar are still pending in the Supreme Court.
“So, at this juncture, allocating funds for building another check dam is tantamount to contempt of SC. Further, this move of the Andhra Pradesh government is against the federal system. Hence, I urge the Andhra Pradesh government to desist from constructing a new check dam across the Palar river, considering the interests of both the States," Duraimurugan said in a statement.
The Minister also said since Palar is one of the inter-state rivers as per the 1892 Madras-Mysore Agreement and that without the consent of lower riparian States, the upper riparian States cannot undertake any construction across the river for diverting or obstructing the flow of water or storing the water. This agreement binds all States concerned.
The Minister also pointed out that the Supreme Court, on February 16, 2018, ruled that the above agreement is valid. So, now the Andhra Pradesh government's allocation of funds for building a new check dam will be violative of the 1982 agreement and the SC ruling.
Referring to one of the two pending cases, Duraimurugan recalled that when the Andhra Pradesh government unilaterally attempted to build a dam across the Palar River in 2006, the Tamil Nadu government filed a petition before the SC and the final hearing is about to take place in this case. The other case was filed in 2016 when the Andhra Pradesh government made efforts to increase the height of existing check dams across Palar.
