TN will effectively pursue Mullaperiyar issue in SC: Minister

With the Supreme Court-appointed committee vouching for safety of the century-old Mullaperiyar Dam, Tamil Nadu today said it will effectively pursue the case in the court to safeguard its interests in the matter.
A statement in this regard was made in the Assembly by Minister for Public Works K V Ramalingam.
Tamil Nadu and Kerala are locked in a row over the dam as while the latter insists on a new dam on grounds of safety, Tamil Nadu wants the present structure to continue, insisting that it is strong enough.
Ramalingam told the Assembly that the Supreme Court-appointed Empowered Committee headed by former Chief Justice A S Anand had submitted its report to the apex court on April 24, 2012.

"It has come to the conclusion that the Mullaiperiyar dam is hydrologically, structurally, and seismically safe for raising the water level to 142 feet," he said.
Final arguments in the Supreme Court will commence from July 7 this year and the "government of Tamil Nadu will effectively pursue this issue to safeguard the interests of the state of Tamil Nadu," he said.

The dam has also been selected for state government's 'best maintained dam' award for 2012-13, Ramalingam said.
He further said the government will pursue with equal importance a case involving Andhra Pradesh over construction of a reservoir across river Palar in Chittoor district.

The case was filed in the Supreme Court by the state in 2006 on the ground that the reservoir will affect a number of drinking water schemes and irrigation, he said.
He also informed the House that for controlling floods and making optimal use of the copious North-East monsoon, a government appointed technical committee has recommended 12 schemes to the tune of over Rs 13,500 crore.
One such scheme, the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar river interlinking at a proposed cost of Rs 5,166 crore, which is under consideration of the Centre, Ramalingam said.