The Supreme Court on Monday (May 19, 2025) gave positive directions facilitating Tamil Nadu and Kerala to address and resolve long-contentious issues such as cutting trees that block access to the 125-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, transportation of materials to repair the approach roads and even grouting of the main super-structure of the dam.
A Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant gave Kerala to forward an application submitted by Tamil Nadu to cut the trees, to the Ministry of Environment and Forests in two weeks. The Centre was asked to accord sanction within three weeks thereafter, subject to appropriate conditions.
On noting that Kerala had consented to the transportation of materials required for six of the nine repair works pointed out by Tamil Nadu, the apex court said there was hardly any “justification” to not allow the transportation of material required for the remaining three works.
The court allowed an Executive Engineer with the Kerala government to be present when the repair works are done by the Tamil Nadu government.
To Kerala’s objections that materials for repairing a dam-access-road running through the forest was harmful to the environment, the apex court directed the State to conduct the road repair itself using materials which were eco-friendly. Tamil Nadu could post a civil engineer with its department to monitor the work.
‘Finish repair of dormitory’
The court directed Tamil Nadu to complete the repair of a dormitory and asked it to comply with the statutory requirements under the Inland Vessels Act and the Wildlife Act while plying an extra boat.
On the issue of grouting, the court asked the States to meet with the Supervisory Committee, which would make expert recommendations.
In the previous hearing, the apex court had made it clear that the prolonged inter-State dispute could only be resolved with the intervention of experts with specialised knowledge.
“The Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and our Prime Minister may be very respected persons. But in this particular field, they may not have the in-depth knowledge. That is why we wanted experts… Our interest is the safety and security of the dams,” Justice Dipankar Datta, a member of the three-judge Bench headed by Justice Kant, had remarked.
Published – May 20, 2025 04:00 am IST
