New expert team to assess safety of Mullaperiyar dam: P Sathasivam

Thiruvananthapuram: Governor P.  Sathasivam said  on Friday  that the new government would constitute a multi-disciplinary team to assess the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam. The Governor said  in his address to the Assembly  that his government stood by the resolution passed by the  Assembly regarding Mullapperiyar dam.

However, considering the legal position arising out of the Supreme Court judgment, the government legally would focus on establishing the need to get a new multi-disciplinary team consisting of the best available experts to assess the safety, strength and durability of the dam structure as well as to study remedial measures in this regard.

However, the Opposition termed the announcement as against the  stand of the previous UDF government that the Mullaperiyar dam was unsafe and that the only way out was the construction of a new dam. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala told reporters that the state had not accepted the Supreme Court verdict that the dam was strong.  

The  UDF government had even earmarked an amount for the construction of a new dam. There was no need for a new expert committee as the engineering experts from Roorkee had made it clear that the dam  was unsafe. With Chief Minister taking a contrary stand, Tamil Nadu Chief  Minister J. Jayalalithaa had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to increase the height to 152 feet from the present 142 feet. “Though, we had demanded an all-party meeting, the government has not yet reacted positively,” he said.