SC panel meets over Mullaperiyar dam dispute

The Supreme Court-appointed committee on Mullaperiyar Dam dispute met here today during which lawyers representing Tamil Nadu and Kerala made representations on their stands and asked the panel to hear them before submitting its report.

The committee headed by former Chief Justice of India AS Anand is expected to submit its report on the controversial issue by February, 2012.

At today's meeting, Kerala submitted a memorandum before the committee stating that frequent tremors in Idduki district, where the 116-year-old structure is located, was causing damage to the dam and that the state should be heard before the report is finalised.

Tamil Nadu contended before the panel that there was no need for a new dam and that the water level of the existing dam should be raised from the present 136 ft to 142 ft as per a 2006 Supreme Court directive.

As both states submitted their viewpoints, the panel is understood to told them that it would hear both sides before arriving at a conclusion.

Ramesh Badu, an advocate representing Kerala, said they submitted a memorandum regarding occurrence of tremors and that the panel agreed to hear the state.

"The panel told us that they have accepted the memorandum and we will be heard," he said.

Supreme Court constitutes a five-member empowered committee to study all the issues of Mullaperiyar. The report is to be submitted in February 2012

Umapathy, one of the lawyers representing Tamil Nadu, said the committee has agreed to hear both states, but the date for hearing has not yet been fixed.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala are engaged in a confrontation over the Mullaperiyar Dam issue. While Kerala wants a new dam to be built near the existing structure, Tamil Nadu wants the dam level to be raised to 142 ft.