CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday wrote to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh objecting to some clauses of the draft Dam Safety Bill (DSB) 2010, which are detrimental to the interests of Tamil Nadu, and sought his intervention to sort out the issue.In her letter, the CM recalled that in her letter dated July 29, this year, she had objected in unequivocal terms to the sub-clauses 26 (1), (2), (3) and (4) and clause 13 of the draft DSB which would be detrimental to the interests of Tamil Nadu.She urged the PM to order the Ministry of Water Resources to remove the objectionable clauses pointed out by her from the draft Bill, so that the interests of Tamil Nadu were protected.Jayalalithaa, in her earlier letter to the PM, had said that as per 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 demands that full cooperation should be extended by the concerned non-State dam safety organisation or the non-State dam safety cell and the owner of the specified dam. The CM had pointed out that the provisions would directly interfere with the safety and functioning of the dams owned by TN.“Four dams — Mullaiperiyar dam, Parambikulam Dam, Thunakadavu Dam and Peruvaripallam — are owned, operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu, whereas these dams are situated in the territory of Kerala,” she had said, adding that if this Bill becomes law, the control of these four dams would go automatically to Kerala in whose territory the dams are located.Jayalalithaa had observed that such a situation would create number of practical problems for the safety, operation and maintenance of the dams.She had also suggested inclusion of a new provision to the effect that dam maintenance officials and personnel should have the right to enter into the forests and wildlife sanctuary area to carry out dam safety, maintenance and rehabilitation measures.
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