With the empowered committee that studied the safety of Mullaiperiyar dam submitting its report to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government has expressed hope that the state would get a favourable verdict.
Hours after news about the submission of the report went on air, state public works department minister K.V. Ramalingam told DC, “Our demand is legitimate. We are hopeful that the report would be in our favour. We are confident that SC will do justice to TN by passing a verdict in favour of the state.”
“Kerala should drop its demand for constructing a new dam and act in the interest of national integrity,” Mr Ramalingam said urging Kerala to act in a manner that would jeopardise the lives and livelihood of lakhs of people of TN.
The minister’s statement comes in the backdrop of diverse reports about the contents of the empowered committee report.
Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa had been reiterating time and again said that her government would not give up on the rights of the state under any circumstance.
Tamil Nadu has been insisting on raising the water level in the dam to 142ft (temporarily) in accordance with the Supreme Court order and carry out long-term strengthening works to store water up to 152ft, which, the Kerala government has been opposing by proposing to demolish the existing one and construct a new dam.