The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Delayed setting up of Dam Safety Authority hit Kerala's interests: Jacob

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Delayed setting up of Dam Safety Authority hit Kerala's interests: Jacob

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The former Water Resources Minister T.M. Jacob on Monday said that the delay in appointing a Dam Safety Authority, under Section 57 of the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act, 2003, worked against Kerala's interest in the Mullaperiyar case.

At a press conference, Mr. Jacob, reacting to the Supreme Court verdict, said the Act had specific provisions relating to the Mullaperiyar Dam, entrusting the authority to give recommendations on the safety of dams. The authority had been constituted only recently and it could have strengthened Kerala's case had it been constituted earlier and submitted its report.

Mr. Jacob felt that the Supreme Court did not have the jurisdiction to give a verdict on an interlocutory petition seeking transfer of cases in the Kerala and Tamil Nadu High Courts. Only a Constitutional Bench or a tribunal could decide the matter as it was connected to an inter-State river water agreement.

He said he did not subscribe to demand of Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan for a judicial inquiry into the alleged role of officials. He urged the Government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the implications of the verdict.

File review petition

RSP State secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan has asked the Government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court on the issue.

In a statement here on Monday, Prof. Chandrachoodan said water should be given to Tamil Nadu only after taking into account the threats arising from increasing height of the Mullaperiyar dam to 142 feet from the present 136 feet.

He said the Supreme Court verdict is the price that the State has had to pay for the lax manner in which the Kerala Government had handled inter-State river water disputes.

The RSP leader said the Government and the officials concerned had committed unpardonable mistakes when handling the Mullaperiyar issue before the judiciary and in making available the necessary information relating to the dam's safety to the Central Water Commission.

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