Give Mullaperiyar report to Kerala, Tamil Nadu: Apex court
May 4th, 2012 - 10:22 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, May 4 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday directed that the report of an expert committee that studied the safety of 119-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala be shared with Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The committee was headed by former chief justice A.S. Anand. The court said copies of its report be given to the two state governments in a sealed cover.
The five-judge apex court bench of Justice D.K. Jain, Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Deepak Verma, Justice C.K. Prasad and Justice Anil R. Dave would next hear the case July 23.
The committee was set up in February, 2010 to study all aspect of the dam on the Periyar river, including its safety. The committee submitted its report to the apex court April 25.
The court said that it could only “wish and hope” as senior counsel Harish Salve told the court that Kerala was inclined to find a political consensus of the emotive and contentious issue.
The senior counsel said that for evolving consensus, it was necessary that both the sides should sit and hammer out difference.
Both Tamil Nadu and Kerala are at loggerhead on the fate of the dam. Kerala is advocating dismantling of the dam, holding that its structure was not safe, while Tamil Nadu is opposed to it.
The Tamil Nadu government is managing the dam ever since its inception. Tamil Nadu, while holding that there was no threat to the structure of the dam, is seeking to increase its water level from the existing 132 ft. to 136 ft.
The committee includes retired judges of the apex court Justice K.T. Thomas and Justice A.R. Lakshmanan, representing Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively.
The other members of the committee are former water resources secretary C.D. Thatte and retired chief engineer, Central Water Commission, D.K. Mehta.
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- 'Justice Thomas should have stood up for Kerala on Mullaperiyar' - May 06, 2012
- Apex court asks Kerala to allow Mullaperiyar dam upkeep - Jul 23, 2012
- Mullaperiyar dam not interstate dispute, asserts Tamil Nadu - Jan 21, 2010
- Mullaperiyar panel gets two-month extension - Feb 27, 2012
- Kerala promises Mullaperiyar's protection, Tamil Nadu's 'no' to meet - Dec 15, 2011
- Mullaperiyar Dam: Apex court seeks centre's response (Lead) - Dec 13, 2011
- Kerala acting against constitution on Mullaperiyar: Tamil Nadu - Feb 05, 2011
- Court panel to review Mullaperiyar dam - Feb 18, 2010
- Jayalalithaa urges Kerala to abide by Supreme Court order - Dec 01, 2011
- 'Tamil Nadu will send police to protect Mullaperiyar' - May 27, 2012
- Mullaperiyar dam row to go to constitution bench - Nov 10, 2009
- Mullaperiyar Dam: Supreme Court seeks centre's response - Dec 13, 2011
Tags: apex court, central water, chief engineer, contentious issue, court bench, court justice, deepak verma, expert committee, justice a s anand, lakshmanan, lodha, loggerhead, periyar river, political consensus, senior counsel, state governments, t thomas, tamil nadu government, water commission, water level