TN argument on dam row not acceptable: Minister

April 30, 2012: Kerala Water Resources Minister PJ Joseph on Sunday said Tamil Nadu’s argument that the 119-year-old Mullaperiyar dam could be sustained by carrying out repair works was not acceptable to the state.
In a brief chat with reporters here, Joseph said he would give an elaborate response to the report of the Supreme court-appointed Empowered Committee on Mullaperiyar dam dispute after knowing more about its contents.
The minister expressed confidence that the state would be able to present its contentions to the apex court when the case comes up for hearing.
He termed as “good”, media reports claiming the committee had recommended a new dam after taking into consideration the risks posed by the present structure.
The five-member committee headed by former Chief Justice of India A S Anand was set up in February 2010 to look into all aspects of the dam, over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been at loggerheads for long.
While Tamil Nadu has contended that the dam is safe and its water level should be raised from 132 feet to 136 feet, Kerala has been pressing for construction of a new dam to replace the existing structure, built during the British colonial rule.