Repair work on Mullaperiyar dam resumes

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday said the repair work on the controversial Mullaperiyar dam has resumed after it took up with Kerala the issue of its officials allegedly preventing movement of cement bags meant for the purpose.

After the state officials raised the issue with their Kerala counterparts, 500 bags of cement have reached the dam site and the repair works were underway, an official release said.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa held a review meeting with Chief Secretary Debendranath Sarangi and DGP K Ramanujam on Friday, and directed them to take up the matter with their Kerala counterparts, it said.

The Supreme Court appointed Empowered Committee, while looking into a case pertaining to the strength of the dam over which the two states are locked in a row, had submitted a report vouching for its safety after conducting tests on the structure by drilling holes at various points.

When state PWD engineers took up repair work to plug the holes ahead of the monsoon season and in line with the committee's directions, the Kerala government, however "prevented" them from doing it, the release said, adding, Jayalalithaa took up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 27.

Stating Kerala had assured it would not prevent the works, its Forest officials stopped cement from being transported there, the release said, Jayalalithaa subsequently chaired  the meeting to review the situation.

"On the directions of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the Chief Secretary and DGP of Tamil Nadu spoke to their Kerala counterparts following which 500 cement bags have reached the area and woks to plug the holes are underway," it said.