Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court seeking CISF protection for Mullaperiyar dam

CHENNAI: Taking a strong exception to the unauthorized visit by a Kerala MLA and a group of journalists and subsequent damage to the structure of the baby dam, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to depute the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to ensure the safety of the dam and its appurtenant structures.
The dam, situated in the Idukki district of Kerala, is owned and operated by Tamil Nadu.
“Kerala MLA Bijimol, representing Peerumedu, had without any permission, entered the dam area with a group of journalists, and started pocking the downstream face of the baby dam at mortar joints, causing damage to the structure of the baby dam,” the petition said.
It said the MLA, a public servant, breached the constitutional mandate that all authorities should act in support of implementing the Supreme Court order to raise the water storage level to 142 feet.
The petition alleged that the local police remained a silent spectator and failed to prevent people from damaging the baby dam. “It is imperative that the CISF be deployed immediately, which should be directed to function under the Supreme Court-appointed supervisory committee,” the petition said.
Tamil Nadu moved the apex court with a similar petition in 2011. However, that was disposed of, following an assurance from Kerala that it would do all that was necessary to protect the dam and all facilities and properties belonging to Tamil Nadu.
About 25 engineers from Tamil Nadu had been stationed at the dam for the last ten days, monitoring the storage level, which is building up rapidly.
“The safety of dam and personnel is at risk, with people making force entry,” PWD executive engineer R Madhavan told TOI from dam site.
The officer, who was allegedly manhandled by journalists on Monday, is also member of a sub-committee (technical) under the supervisory committee set by the Supreme Court. “When we complained to police, they simply told us to protect ourselves and that they cannot do anything,” the officer said.
Quoting the officer, the petition said police had refused to even register an FIR on his complaint.
Anticipating a threat to the safety of the SC-appointed panel, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday shot off a letter to panel chief LAV Nathan to seek protection of the CISF or any other central security for the ensuing inspection of the dam slated for November 24.
Tamil Nadu chief secretary Mohan Verghese Chunkath too lodged protest with his Kerala counterpart on the latest security breach.
“Although the committee is empowered to look into the structural safety of the dam, lack of security could also impact its safety,” Nathan told TOI over phone from New Delhi.
Nathan is chief engineer (dam safety) of Central Water Commission, a premier water agency of the Union ministry of water resources.
The officer said according to the reports he received, the seepage reported in the masonry dam was insignificant. “But our panel will check that too during our next inspection,” he said.
The storage level stood at 141.6 on Wednesday morning, as against the permissible level of 142 feet.