Tamil Nadu on Thursday accused Kerala of causing obstructions to its efforts to maintain the Mullaperiyar dam in direct violation of a Supreme Court order in 2014.
The court in May 2014 had declared the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006, which froze the height of the water level in the dam to 136 ft, as unconstitutional and an “invasion” of Tamil Nadu's rights.
It had issued a decree of permanent injunction on Kerala from applying the 2006 law on the dam. The 2014 order banned Kerala from “interfering with or obstructing the State of Tamil Nadu from increasing the water level to 142 ft. and from carrying out the repair works” on the dam or its appurtenant structures.
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear the petition filed by Tamil Nadu, represented by advocate G. Umapathy, to execute the judgment against Kerala, which, it said, was habitually violating the court order.
The petition sought the court to direct Kerala to grant necessary clearances for felling 23 trees in the downstream of baby dam of Mullaiperiyar dam in the area leased to Tamil Nadu. It sought clearance from Kerala to cut an approach pathway to the baby dam connecting the existing road in the downstream of the dam in the area leased to Tamil Nadu to convey materials for carrying out the balance strengthening works.
Tamil Nadu sought the court to direct Kerala not to hinder free access to the dam and its appurtenant structures in order to collect data and change the weekly chart in the Mullaikodi Rainfall Station, which is essential for regulating the water from the Periyar dam.
