The Supreme Court of India expressed shock and disappointment at the Indian government's failure to implement the Dam Safety Act, enacted in 2021. The court highlighted the lack of progress in constituting a national committee for dam safety and formulating regulations despite the law's provisions. The case pertains to the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam, a 130-year-old structure in Kerala, which is controlled by Tamil Nadu. The court has ordered the government to take immediate action and seek assistance from the Attorney General in this matter.
The labourers, who are said to be of Nepali origin, were engaged in the construction of a hotel.
Hundreds of people were shifted to relief camps from low-lying areas of Kerala as flood water entered their houses with monsoon rains gaining further strength in the state.
The Tamil Nadu government has told the Supreme Court that "repeated assertion" by Kerala to seek decommissioning of the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam is "wholly impermissible" as the dam has been found to be hydrologically, structurally and seismically safe.
The pleas raising issues about the dam, which was built in 1895 on the Periyar river in Idukki district of Kerala, came up for hearing before a bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar.
In an application filed in the apex court, the Kerala government has also sought a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to control the water level by releasing water from the dam throughout the day instead of releasing a huge quantity of water at the wee hours without giving sufficient warning time.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has questioned the Centre for "entertaining" Kerala's request for approving environment study to construct a new dam at Mullaperiyar in her state, saying it was in contravention to the Supreme Court order.
"We know very well the importance of water from Mullaperiyar to Tamil Nadu. The five districts of Tamil Nadu are completely depending on water from Mullaperiyar. We are always for distribution of water without any objection," Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told media persons in Chennai.
The flame over the age-old Mullaperiyar dam row has once again reached Parliament's doorsteps. None of the two conflicting parties -- namely governments in Tamil Nadu and Kerala -- seem to be in a mood to back off, and the controversy is set to become an additional headache for the already cornered UPA government at the Centre. Rediif.com tries to explain the different contours of the issue.
The flame over the age-old Mullaperiyar dam row has once again reached Parliament's doorsteps. None of the two conflicting parties -- namely governments in Tamil Nadu and Kerala -- seem to be in a mood to back off, and the controversy is set to become an additional headache for the already cornered UPA government at the Centre. Rediif.com tries to explain the different contours of the issue.
Stepping up the campaign for a new dam at Mullaperiyar, State Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) chief K M Mani is observing a day-long fast at Chappath in Mullaperiyar on Monday while his colleague and Water Resources Minister P J Joseph is fasting in New Delhi.
The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Kerala government on Tamil Nadu's plea that the security of Mullaperiyar Dam should be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force.
The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Kerala government on Tamil Nadu's plea that the security of Mullaperiyar Dam should be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force.
Expressing regret over the Supreme Court's order to refer the Mullaperiyar dam dispute with Kerala to a Constitution bench, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday voiced apprehensions that the adage 'justice delayed is justice denied' might come true.
Shashi Tharoor was just back from Delhi after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with all the other members of Parliament from Kerala, on the Mullaperiyar dam issue. Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier caught him in Thiruvananthapuram for an exclusive interview.
Seeking to assert Tamil Nadu's rights over Mullaperiyar dam, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday said a special assembly session would be convened on December 15 to pass a resolution that the state will not give up rights over it due to 'imaginary threats' on its safety and security.
Water level in the Mullaperiyar dam is threatening to cross the permissible limit of 142 feet, leading to fears about the safety of the people living downstream from it in Kerala even as six spillway shutters were opened on Monday night to release excess water.
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday said the repair work on the controversial Mullaperiyar dam has resumed after it took up with Kerala the issue of its officials allegedly preventing movement of cement bags meant for the purpose.
Stepping up pressure for the early resolution of Mullaperiyar Dam row with Tamil Nadu, Kerala Water Resources Minister P J Joseph on Saturday warned that the Centre will be held responsible if the 116-year-old structure collapses.
Normal life was on Monday hit due to a dawn-to-dusk hartal called at Idukki in Kearal by the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front and Opposition Left Democratic Front protesting Tamil Nadu's stand over Mullaperiyar issue and Centre's "reluctance" to mediate on it.
Kerala politicians led by Chief Minister Ommen Chandy on Wednesday knocked the doors of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his immediate intervention in persuading Tamil Nadu to settle the Mullaperiyar dam issue.
With the row over the Mullaperiyar dam escalating, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who directed him to meet Water Resources Minister Pawan Bansal for further discussions on the issue.
Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Premachandran said the minister's reply to a question from two Kerala MPs in Parliament that the dam was owned and operated by Tamil Nadu was not "fully correct."
Moving the submission on the issue at the outset, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy it was unfortunate that Tamil Nadu had not taken into due account the anxieties and fears of Kerala arising out of the existing dam, even in the backdrop of frequent tremors in the area.
Karat told reporters that his party wanted an amicable settlement on the issue.
The dam is located on the Western Ghats near Thekkady in Idukki district of Kerala on the Periyar river.
Coming out against the report of the Supreme Court-appointed Empowered Committee on Mullaperiyar dam, over which Kerala and Tamil Nadu are at loggerheads, Communist Party of India-Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan on Monday said it was "unilateral and in favour of Tamil Nadu".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday discussed with his senior Cabinet colleagues the Mullaperiyar dam issue over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been at loggerheads.
The Empowered Committee on the controversial Mullaperiyar Dam issue on Wednesday submitted its report to the Supreme Court in a sealed cover which would be examined by a Constitution Bench.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday charged the Kerala government with carrying out a "mischievous propaganda" on the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam only to create panic and whip up emotions of its people to draw political mileage.
Setting aside rivalries, ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front and opposition Left Democratic Front in Kerala stepped up the demand for a new dam at Mullaperiyar as water flow into the reservoir in Idukki almost touched the maximum permissible storage level of 136 feet on Sunday due to heavy rain in the area.
In a setback to the Kerala government, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a law promulgated by it declaring Mullaperiyar dam as endangered, and restrained it from obstructing the Tamil Nadu government to raise the water level.
The two-member technical panel comprising CD Thatte and DK Mehta had recently surveyed the dam site after Kerala expressed concerns over safety in the wake of recent tremors in the area
Union Minister Vayalar Ravi on Sunday slammed his colleague and Home Minister P Chidambaram for his remarks on the Mullaperiyar Dam, calling them as "unfortunate" and said they only showed his "political immaturity".
Supreme Court-appointed Empowered Committee on the controversial Mullaperiyar Dam, over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala are at loggerheads, today finalised its much-awaited report on various aspects of the structure and will submit it to the court on Wednesday.
The Kerala government on Friday informed the state high court that at least 450 families living near the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam area would be evacuated to safer places soon.
Kerala should have decommissioned the Mullaperiyar dam long back. Question of any mechanism to replace the benefits that the dam may be providing are important no doubt, but only be secondary, notes Himanshu Khullar.
An all party delegation from Kerala on Friday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought his intervention to resolve the issue of Mullaperiyar dam between the state and Tamil Nadu. Senior Congress Member of Parliament P C Chacko said the prime minister advised the two sides not to take up any campaign to create differences and tension between the two states. "The prime minister advised us that such a campaign should not be taken up," Chacko said.
The Kerala government on Monday announced it will go ahead with the construction of a new dam at Mullaperiyar and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "intervene strongly" in the dispute and make Tamil Nadu initiate "practical steps" on the issue.
The parapet wall was found damaged on Monday.
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