Mullaperiyar issue: NDMA panel in cold sack

NDMA defers decision till empowerment committee submits report

PTI | December 27, 2011



Budging to Tamil Nadu's pressure, the Centre has kept in abeyance the National Disaster Management Authority's decision to form an expert panel to prepare a contingency plan on Mullaperiyar dam, till the Supreme Court appointed Empowered Committee submits its report.

NDMA has deferred its decision till the Empowered Committee on the dam submits its report, a Tamil Nadu government release said.

The decision comes days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying formation of the panel was nothing but succumbing to the 'subterfuge' of Kerala and to present a fait accompli to the Supreme Court and the Empowered Committee constituted by it.

Recalling Jayalalithaa's December 20 letter, the release said, she had demanded that the memorandum of NDMA, coming under the Prime Minister, be withdrawn as the Supreme Court is looking into the matter.

During her meeting in the city with Singh on December 25, Jayalalithaa had pressed her demand.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala are locked in a bitter row over the 116 year-old structure, with the latter insisting that it be replaced with a new one, citing safety concerns.

Tamil Nadu is strongly opposed to the move, saying that the dam is strong. The dam issue has led to tension in the border areas of both states in recent weeks.

Comments

 

Other News

El Niño threatens India’s Rabi crops

India’s southwest monsoon ended with a 13% rainfall deficit in 2026, its weakest performance in a decade, raising concerns over agricultural production, water security and the upcoming rabi season. With El Niño expected to persist into early 2027, experts warn that declining soil moisture, dep

Regulating the data advantage: India’s new e-Commerce framework

For over a decade, India’s e-commerce story has rested on a simple premise: platforms connect buyers and sellers, while data fuels efficiency, personalisation, and scale. However, as the market matured, its structure has revealed a growing imbalance. E-commerce platforms, especially marketplace ent

Changing weather patterns, climate change responsible for Nepal floods

The interaction between active Western Disturbances, increased atmospheric moisture and the region’s complex topography aswell as global warming are important factors behind intense rainfall in the Himalayas, leading to flash floods in Nepal, according to meteorologists. Nepal

A right she cannot reach

Last summer, the two of us spent several weeks in rural Madhya Pradesh with a non-profit that works on gender justice through women’s self-help groups. We went in with a notebook full of laws. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The Dowry Prohibition Act. Free legal aid for every wo

Tier-2 cities lead India’s digital credit push

Digital payments have become a reflex for urban India, but the confidence earned in paying has not yet carried over to borrowing. That is the central finding of `How Urban India Pays Report 2026`, released by Pahlé India Foundation in collaboration with Amazon Pay. Based on a survey of 5,149 consu

India calls for doubling bilateral trade with UK by 2030

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has called upon businesses in India and the United Kingdom to translate the opportunities created by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into expanded trade, investment, partnerships and job creation. Addressing the Bu

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter