SC seeks Kerala's response on TN plea for maintenance of Mullaperiyar Dam

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Kerala government's response on a plea by Tamil Nadu alleging that it was not being allowed to maintain the Mullaperiyar dam.

Tamil Nadu has sought the execution of the top court's judgment which had permitted it to carry out the maintenance of the dam.

Directing Kerala to respond to the application by Tamil Nadu, the bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul directed the listing of the matter for hearing in the second week of July.

Telling the court that it was not being allowed to carry out the maintenance of the historic dam, Tamil Nadu has alleged that its officials of Public Works Department were not even permitted to take the material for the upkeep of the dam.

Striking down the 2006 Kerala law that had sought to restrict the water level in Mullaperiyar dam at 136 feet, the top court's five-judge bench had on May 7, 2014, restrained Kerala from interfering or obstructing in any manner Tamil Nadu from increasing the water level to 142 ft and carrying out the repair works as per its February 27, 2006 judgment.

Tamil Nadu would be allowed to "carry out further precautionary measures that may become necessary upon its periodic inspection of the dam in accordance with the guidelines of the Central Water Commission and Dam Safety Organisation," the top court had said by its May 7, 2014 judgment.

--IANS

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