The government would raise the demand for a new dam at Mullaperiyar in the upcoming discussions with Tamil Nadu, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine told the Assembly on Wednesday.
He said the government was following a policy of ‘water for Tamil Nadu and new dam for Kerala,’ in reply to a submission from Communist Party of India MLA Vazhoor Soman.
“The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had earlier approved the terms of reference of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the new dam. The EIA is currently progressing. In addition to the clearance from the Environment and Forest Ministries, we need Tamil Nadu’s permission to construct a new dam,” said Mr. Augustine.
An expert committee was constituted in February this year to revise the detailed project report (DPR) for the new dam. Meetings had been conducted between the Chief Ministers of both States and at the Secretary-level to discuss various inter-State issues.
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