The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF Opposition walked out of the Assembly on Wednesday, holding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan responsible for the sanction accorded to Tamil Nadu on November 5 to fell trees to strengthen the baby dam at Mullaperiyar.
Moving a submission in the House, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said Mr. Vijayan had, at a stroke, scuttled Kerala's chances for a new dam at Mullaperiyar.
He said the “self-defeating” Forest Department order ran against the grain of the State’s contention in the Supreme Court that Central sanction was required to fell trees in the Periyar Tiger Reserve and Tamil Nadu had not submitted the mandatory clearances.
‘Case floundering’
The Government had also inadvertently buttressed T.N.’s case to raise the water level at the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar to a “perilous” 152 feet by fortifying the baby dam.
“T.N. has a clear case in the Supreme Court. Kerala’s case is floundering, and the State is bound to lose the case for a new dam in Mullaperiyar because of its mistakes,” he said.
The LDF administration had jeopardised the security and peace of mind of 40 lakh Keralites living downstream from Mullaperiyar. The Government owed the Assembly and the people an explanation for the “deceit,” he said.
Mr. Satheesan pointed out that Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home, who answers to Mr. Vijayan, held water resources charge.
Joint meeting
He said the ACS was party to the decision in June to allow a joint team of Kerala and T.N. officials to inspect the baby dam to identify the trees that impeded its reinforcement. Subsequently, a Kerala-T.N. joint meeting via videoconference sanctioned the felling of the trees.
On November 5, the Forest Department allowed T.N. to cut the trees. Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran had told the Assembly that the “erroneous” order was possibly based on the misreading of the minutes of a November 1 meeting between Forest and Water Resource Department officials. He also claimed to have the minutes of the meeting.
However, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said no such meeting had occurred. He also said Water Resources officials were not part of the joint Kerala-T.N. team that inspected the baby dam.
Conflicting terms
Mr. Satheesan said both the Ministers spoke about the life and death issue of Keralites in conflicting terms. The Government was yet to cancel the order. “It has merely kept it in abeyance,” he said.
Power Minister K. Krishnankutty said the Government had frozen the controversial order because it contradicted Kerala’s stance in the apex court.
On November 8, the Central Government had asked the State to allow T.N. to fortify the baby dam, earthen bund and repair the ghat road to ensure dam safety.
The Government was committed to protecting Kerala's interest in the Mullaperiyar dam dispute. It stood for a new dam at Mullaperiyar. “Water for T.N. and safety for Kerala” was the Government’s unimpeachable position.
