Kerala can build a new dam in 2 years: Minister Joseph

Jun 08, 2012 |

Kochi

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If the Supreme Court and the centre would allow it, Kerala can build a new dam at Mullapperiyar in two years, quite contrary to what is stated in the report submitted by the empowered committee, said P.J. Joseph, minister for water resources, in Kochi, on Thursday.

“The committee report says that it would take at least 10 years for the state to build a new dam, but I promise we can finish it in two years,” the minister said.

He was speaking at a meeting held in the city to discuss the report of the Supreme Court-appointed empowered committee on the Mullapperiyar dam’s safety.

Former minister for water resources, N.K. Premachandran and advocate Sivan Madathil also spoke at the meeting, which was organised by the Save Kerala Movement.

The minister said the state would use internationally-accepted Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) technology to build the new dam, which would only cost two-thirds of the estimated budget.

The minister also reiterated that the state’s nominee to the committee, Justice K.T. Thomas, had duped Kerala by being ‘impartial’.

“The Supreme Court’s direction to Kerala and Tamil Nadu was to nominate a member each to the committee to project the respective state’s arguments.

Tamil Nadu’s nominee, Justice Justice A.R. Laxmanan stood by his state’s arguments, but our nominee did not,” Joseph said. N.K. Premachandran also criticised Justice K.T. Thomas for being
unrealistic.

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