Tamil Nadu has moved the Supreme Court seeking a restraining order against neighbouring Kerala and its officials from conducting any drilling operation, investigation or survey work or any other work in connection with a new dam on the Periyar river adjacent to the disputed Mullaperiyar dam.
In an application, the Tamil Nadu government accused Kerala of “stealthily” bringing drilling machinery to work on the new dam pursuant to a clearance dated December 3, 2014 given by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife.
EIA study
The application also seeks to restrain Kerala from taking up Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study or taking up any action pursuant to the clearance given by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife.
It further seeks a direction to the Ministry of Environment and Forest to withdraw the December 3, 2014 clearance given by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life for the construction of a new Mullaiperiyar dam by the Kerala Government.
The application said the Kerala government had submitted a proposal for the construction of new dam and the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wild Life (NBWL) considered its proposal and had accorded permission only to conduct survey and investigation without in any way affecting any other legal and administrative clearances required for the new Mullaiperiyar dam located in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The application said the proposal for a new dam was an attempt to “deprive” Tamil Nadu its right to the waters of the Mullaperiyar dam under the 1886 Agreement and the supplemental Agreement of 1970.
