Dam Safety Bill not in the interest of TN

CHENNAI: Pointing out that certain provisions of the Dam Safety Bill, 2011, currently referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources, are detrimental to the interests of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to modify them to protect the interests of the State.Jayalalithaa, in her letter to the PM, said according to the provisions of the proposed Bill, all specified dams should fall under the jurisdiction of the State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) or State Dam Safety Cell (SDSC) of the State in which the dams are located. Further, the SDSO or SDSC will be responsible for the dam inspections, analysis of information, recommendation reports regarding safety status and remedial measures to be undertaken to improve dam safety.The proposed Bill dem-ands that full cooperation be extended by the concerned non-State dam safety organisation or the non-State dam safety cell and the owner of the dam. Jayalalithaa said the provisions would directly interfere with the safety and functioning of the dams owned by Tamil Nadu.“Four dams - Mullaiperiyar dam, Parambikulam Dam, Thunakadavu Dam and Peruvaripallam Dam are owned, operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu, whereas these dams are situated in the territory of Kerala,” she said, adding that if this Bill becomes law, it will be detrimental to Tamil Nadu as the control of these four dams would go automatically to Kerala.“This will create practical problems for the safety, operation and maintenance of the dams,” she pointed out.She suggested modification to the effect that the dam inspections and remedial measures to improve safety should fall under the jurisdiction of SDSO or SDSC of the State that owns and operates the dam.