New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Supreme Court that the Supervisory Committee constituted by the court to evaluate the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam, has not evaded any of its responsibilities and functions by constituting a subcommittee and is only taking its assistance.
The state has filed an affidavit in the apex court in response to a plea which alleged that constitution of subcommittee by the Supervisory committee amounts to an abdication of duties. The government has said that it is an "erroneous assumption", "misconceived" and "denied".
Citing the sequence of meetings the state government has said that "functioning of the subcommittee was deliberated and it was recorded that the subcommittee shall put its considered view before the Supervisory committee for discussion and decision".
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The petitioner had also stated danger associated with the age-old masonry Mullaperiyar Dam which is also denied by the state saying that the age is immaterial as long as the dam is well maintained and serves the purpose.
It has said that there already exists other older dams like Furens Dam, Gravity dam, Vyrnwy dam etc which are working fine.
"It is stated that in 1979, the Kerala press alleged that there were structural damages in the Mullaiperiyar Dam. On the contrary, the dam was found to be safe and the alleged Press report was found to be untrue and the Chairman CWC after inspection of the dam stated that the dam is safe and only wanted to bring the dam ti modern standards be retrofitting. The dam is found to be safe, continuously, structurally, seismically and hydrologically vide," read the affidavit citing the report.
In the last hearing, the top court had issued a notice on the plea and sought Kerela and Tamil Nadu's response.
