Tamil Nadu has approached the Supreme Court, alleging violation by Kerala over the Mullaperiyar Dam located at the border of the two southern states. The latest in the dam dispute between the two states is Tamil Nadu alleging that Kerala has gone ahead with the construction of a multi-level car park in the ‘catchment area of the dam’, in violation of Supreme Court orders.
According to one report in the Hindustan Times, the petition was filed last week. Tamil Nadu’s contempt plea alleged that the construction of the parking lot was with the intention of “preventing the restoration of the storage level of the reservoir to the original level of 152 ft.” The state sought to restrain Kerala from further construction. Located on the Periyar River in the Idukki district of Kerala, the dam has been a point of contention between the two states since 1979. Tamil Nadu has been seeking to restore water levels to 152 ft while the Supreme Court has permitted the restoration of water up to 142 ft.
According to the newspaper, Kerala received permission from the apex court in 2018 to construct a canteen and an information centre at the tourist spot of Anavachal; however, no permission was given for the parking lot. The Anavachal point marks the entry into the Eravikulam National Park. Tamil Nadu has argued that the parking lot would be submerged once water levels are restored to 142 ft. The Periyar Tiger Reserve, on the other hand, has contended that heavy vehicular traffic causes disturbances to the wildlife in the area.
The two states were embroiled in a bitter legal battle last year after the Kerala government pinned part of the blame for the devastating floods in the state on Tamil Nadu suddenly releasing water from the dam. Tamil Nadu denied the charge, arguing that the storage level was well below the permitted levels when the floods struck.
Source: The News Minute