SC provides extra powers to Mullaperiyar dam panel

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the reconstitution of the Mullaperiyar Dam Supervisory Committee and gave it powers to watch and keep the dam until the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) takes over. The court docket additionally requested the panel to conduct a recent security evaluate of the 126-year-old dam.

The reconstituted committee may have one technical knowledgeable every from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, to be nominated inside two weeks. The court docket tasked the panel with the surveillance, inspection, operation and upkeep of the Mullaperiyar Dam as per the provisions of the Dam Safety Act 2021. However, the committee will solely be an interim association until the NDSA turns into purposeful. 

The verdict is taken into account beneficial to Kerala because the state has been complaining that Tamil Nadu is just not sharing dam operations knowledge. With the court docket transferring the management of the dam to the supervisory committee, Kerala expects to get correct knowledge on dam operations which can assist it take catastrophe administration steps in downstream areas throughout floods.

“Needless to mention that the reconstituted supervisory committee will decide all outstanding matters related to Mullaperiyar Dam’s safety and conduct a safety review afresh,” the order by a three-judge bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar stated. 

Both Kerala and Tamil Nadu must adjust to the instructions issued by the committee and in case of non-compliance, the chief secretary of the state involved can be held accountable. Contempt of court docket proceedings can be initiated in opposition to the chief secretary if instructions will not be carried out.  

“The party-states must extend complete cooperation for ensuring that the directions given by the supervisory committee are complied with in prescribed time. Failure to do so will not only invite appropriate action for having violated the directions of this court, but all concerned would be liable to be proceeded with under the 2021 Act,” the court docket noticed. The court docket stated the supervisory committee ought to submit a compliance-cum-status report earlier than May 11, the following date of listening to.

TN can strategy panel on pending dam work: SC

The Central Water Commission (CWC) knowledgeable the court docket {that a} momentary construction of the NDSA has been created. However, the court docket felt that the institution of a daily construction with all important organisational and logistical amenities is prone to take some extra time. The common NDSA as soon as put in place can instantly take over the operations of the dam.

Considering the difficulty of pending works raised by Tamil Nadu, the court docket famous that it is going to be open for the state to ask the eye of the reconstituted panel to the work. Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta who represented Kerala had requested the court docket to nominate a brand new chairman for the supervisory committee or entrust the perform of heading the panel with the chairman of the CWC. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, showing for the CWC, instructed the court docket that CWC chairman wouldn’t be capable to head the panel as he’s already heading 21 panels.

Fresh security Review 

The SC stated reconstituted panel will determine all issues associated to dam’s security and conduct a security evaluate
The committee may have one technical knowledgeable every from Kerala and TN, to be nominated in two weeks