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Mullaperiyar dam: Kerala revokes controversial order on tree felling
The issue came to light after Tamil Nadu chief minister sent a letter to his Kerala counterpart, thanking him for the permission to cut trees near the baby dam in Mullaperiyar reservoir
The Kerala government has revoked the controversial order permitting Tamil Nadu to cut 15 trees to strengthen the baby dam in Mullaperiyar, said state forest minister AK Saseendran on Sunday adding that permission was granted by mistake and action will be taken against officials concerned.
“I have no idea who gave the order. It never came up for discussion. Officials who were behind such a move will have to be answerable,” said the minister. Water resources minister Roshy Augustine, hailing from Idukki where the dam is situated, also said he is not aware of the permission granted to Tamil Nadu. Junior partner in the ruling Left Democratic Front, the Communist Party of India also expressed serious reservations over the matter.
The issue came to light after Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin sent a letter to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday thanking him for the permission to cut trees near the baby dam in Mullaperiyar reservoir.
The letter triggered a big controversy in the state and opposition Congress and BJP alleged that the CM’s office gave permission bypassing concerned ministries. They said the decision will weaken the state’s long-pending demand for a new dam.
“The CM should clarify his position on TN’s decision to raise the water level to 152 feet. He said in the assembly recently that TN has shown a favourable approach to Kerala’s growing concern. But this is not a favourable move,” said former water resources minister NK Premachandran MP. The opposition said officials can’t decide on their own and the government is searching for scapegoats now.
The CM is yet to react to the issue. The TN CM’s letter came at a time when TN minister Dorai Murugan’s statement, that the state will raise the water level to 152 feet after strengthening the baby dam, triggered a big protest in downstream areas of the dam. There are reports that chief wildlife warden Bennichan Thomas prepared the order after a meeting of concerned secretaries. But once the issue snowballed into a big controversy, officials disowned the controversial decision and blamed the political leadership.
Two states have been fighting over the water level in the 126 -year-old Mullaperiyar dam for more than two decades. While Kerala wants the water level to be reduced to 138 feet and build a new dam, TN favours water level should be raised to 152 feet saying it was strong enough to withstand any pressure.
Idukki district, where Mullaperiyar is situated, has around 20 small and big dams. Four are major ones and include Mullaperiyar, Idukki, Gavi and Kaki. Dam experts fear a chain reaction in case of a disaster that will affect 3.5 million people living downstream. Tamil Nadu, however, dismisses it saying it is strong enough and every year it carries out regular maintenance. While Kerala insists on a new dam, Tamil Nadu is opposing it fearing it may lose control over the dam which is the lifeline of five districts in southern TN.
