Purported contents of the report of the empowered committee on Mullaperiyar dam have brought the issue back to life in public debate in Kerala.

Leaked observations have suggested that the water level could be raised to 142 ft from the currently stipulated 136 ft, as sought by Tamil Nadu.

This is seen as a setback to Kerala’s argument that the more than a century-old dam structure that sits on a seismically-prone region is inherently weak.

Differences of opinion have since emerged over the role of the empowered committee member and former judge of Supreme Court Mr K.T. Thomas.

The state Water Resources Minister, Mr P.J. Joseph, has criticised the stand of Justice (retired) Mr K.T. Thomas, who was ‘supposedly looking after the states interests'.

“He should have stood for the State’s demand for a new dam in the wake of supportive reports from IITs of New Delhi and Roorkee,” the Minister said.

Though on board as a member as a representative of the state, Mr K.T. Thomas has not conducted himself as such in the empowered committee, the Minister added.

Meanwhile, state Minister for Rural Development, Mr K.C. Joseph, took a diametrically opposite view on the subject, signalling fissures in the government on the issues.

Mr Joseph was of the view that it was not proper for anyone to merely select, out of context, portions of the empowered committee’s report and derive conclusions.

‘Least of all air them in public, which is premature and unjustified..,” Mr Joseph said.

>vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in

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