PWD Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday admitted that the Tamil Nadu government did receive a letter from the Kerala government on the dam across Siruvani river on May 10.
In his reply to the Opposition members, the Minister said the Kerala government had sought grant of Standard Terms of Reference for the project from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. In the 92{+n}{+d}meeting of the EAC, the proposal was discussed and it was decided that it would be taken up after receiving Tamil Nadu’s comments. After this development, the Tamil Nadu government received the letter from the Kerala government on May 10. The letter by the Kerala government, however, did not contain technical details of the project. While the government was reviewing the technical feasibility and legal implications, the Kerala government approached the EAC once again where it was taken up as an additional agenda, he said. Taking up such a sensitive issue without obtaining the views of Tamil Nadu has set a wrong precedent, he noted.
