Supreme court verdict on Mullaperiyar issue declared.
Supreme Court has declared the law passed by Kerala Assembly in 2006 as unconstitutionalthrough a verdict announced today, May 7, 2014. The Law was to constitute a Dam Safety Authority to prevent Tamil Nadu from raising the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam from 135 ft to 142 ft. The judgement came from a five-judge Constitution Bench of Chief Justice Lodha and four other judges. The Court said through the Law passed by Kerala was interfering with the rights of Tamil Nadu and restrained Kerala from enforcing the Law.The Bench appointed a three-member committee with chairman of the Central Water Commission as the chairperson and representatives from the States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to supervise and ensure that the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam was raised up to 142 ft. To safeguard the apprehensions of Kerala, the Bench said that the committee should make periodic inspection of the dam. Kerala Government was directed to allow Tamil Nadu to carry out repair works and take all other steps for the safety of the dam.
On a suit in 2006 filed by Tamil Nadu the apex court had permitted the State to raise the water level from 136 to 142 ft. Against this Kerala enacted the Law for constituting Dam Safety Authority preventing Tamil Nadu from the raising of water level. This new verdict based on a fresh suit filed by Tamil Nadu.