Mullaperiyar: Kerala seeks Presidential reference

Kerala Parliament has unanimously passed a resolution regarding the issue

The Kerala Assembly today unanimously requested the President to refer the Mullaperiyar dam issue to the Supreme Court in the light of state’s  concern over the safety of nearly 4 million people residing in the downstream.

The session of the Assembly accepted a resolution in this regard and sought President's intervention according to Section 143 of the Constitution of India.

The resolution, accepted after a three-hour discussion, also urged the Centre to mediate between Kerala and Tamil Nadu to settle the issue for the benefit of TN and for the safety of  people in four districts of Kerala.

It asked the Centre to help reach a consensus on building a new dam. The Centre should intervene in order to find a  place for the new dam, mutually agreeable to both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It said in 1979, as proposed by the Central Water Commission, the two states had even identified the spot for building a new dam.

If the water level of the dam is raised to 142 feet, according to the latest order of the Supreme court, it will be disastrous to animals and bio diversity of the area. Roughly 20,000 hecatres of forest  will be fully submersed, the resolution said. Chief minister Oommen Chandy moved the resolution before the House that was accepted unanimously.

Water resources minister PJ Joseph said the issue should be brought to the notice of international agencies like the United Nations Organisation (UNO) as there was severe human rights violation in the case. Most of the members criticised the attitude of  former Justice KT Thomas, who represented Kerala in the high-level committee appointed by the Supreme court.

Earlier,  Opposition leader, VS Achuthanandan said Kerala’s concerns were not properly presented during the arguments in the apex court. This resulted in victory for Tamil Nadu. He urged international experts should be engaged to ensure the safety of the 118-year-old dam.

The apex court judgment is a setback to the Kerala government, which has been fighting a decade-old legal battle with Tamil Nadu.  The Supreme Court had on May 7 struck down a law promulgated by it declaring Mullaperiyar dam as endangered.

The court also allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the water level to 142 feet from  136 feet. It also observed that the dam was safe and appointed a three-member committee to monitor the situation. The committee is not yet functional as the nominee of the Union government has not been appointed.