|
|  |  |
| ||||
New Delhi: In a big boost to Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed it to raise the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam to 142 feet.
The apex court’s verdict has come as a big blow to Kerala on the controversial case,which saw both the states engaged in a legal battle for many years.
The Supreme Court has cancelled the Dam Protection Law, which was passed by the Kerala State Assembly. The apex court has ordered to form a three-member commission including a representative from both the states, which will be headed by the Central Water Commission Chairman.
The five-member Constitution Bench - comprising Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Chandramauli K.R. Prasad, Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice M.Y. Iqbal and Justice Madan B. Lokur - had completed the hearing on the case in last August.
Opposing Tamil Nadu’s demand to raise the water-level in the 116-year-old dam, Kerala had requested permission to begin construction of a new dam citing safety concerns over the current lime-surkhi structure.
Kerala had said that the water level for the current dam should be maintained at 136 feet while the Tamil Nadu government had demanded to raise the water level to 142 feet.
Kerala had asserted that reports from higher authority, which claimed that the dam was safe and there was no need for another one, was false.
Tamil Nadu had also challenged Kerala’s jurisdiction to restrict the water level in the dam.
The Mullaperiyar dam controversy kick started wide spread protests in Kerala and Tamil Nadu then and it even led to clashes between people from the neighbouring states on the border and other areas.
The Supreme Court announced the verdict after hearing out both the states’ arguments in detail for ten days last August.
The apex court’s verdict has come as a big blow to Kerala on the controversial case,which saw both the states engaged in a legal battle for many years.
The Supreme Court has cancelled the Dam Protection Law, which was passed by the Kerala State Assembly. The apex court has ordered to form a three-member commission including a representative from both the states, which will be headed by the Central Water Commission Chairman.
The five-member Constitution Bench - comprising Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Chandramauli K.R. Prasad, Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice M.Y. Iqbal and Justice Madan B. Lokur - had completed the hearing on the case in last August.
Opposing Tamil Nadu’s demand to raise the water-level in the 116-year-old dam, Kerala had requested permission to begin construction of a new dam citing safety concerns over the current lime-surkhi structure.
Kerala had said that the water level for the current dam should be maintained at 136 feet while the Tamil Nadu government had demanded to raise the water level to 142 feet.
Kerala had asserted that reports from higher authority, which claimed that the dam was safe and there was no need for another one, was false.
Tamil Nadu had also challenged Kerala’s jurisdiction to restrict the water level in the dam.
The Mullaperiyar dam controversy kick started wide spread protests in Kerala and Tamil Nadu then and it even led to clashes between people from the neighbouring states on the border and other areas.
The Supreme Court announced the verdict after hearing out both the states’ arguments in detail for ten days last August.
No comments:
Post a Comment