Expert panel damned for checking out dam

CUMBUM: Kerala officials, who accompanied the two empowered committee members appointed by Supreme Court, to inspect the Mullaiperiyar dam on Saturday, alleged them of being biased. “The panel members were very harsh and therefore, we could not extend full cooperation,” they said. On behalf of Tamil Nadu, R Subramani, Chairman of the Cauvery Technical Committee, Selvaraj, superintending engineer, Selvam, Dam Operation superintending engineer, Rajagopal, Chief Engineer from Chennai, Sampathkumar, Periyar-Vaigai Chief Engineer and others accompanied C D Thatte and K K Mehta, the panel members, on their visit to Mullaiperiyar dam.Chairman of the Dams Protection Commission Parameswara Nair, member James Wilson, Chief Irrigation Engineer P Lathika and others represented Kerala.Panel members inspected the main dam, Baby dam and the galleries and sluices through which surplus water was flowing into Kerala. It is reported that the members asked Tamil Nadu team to indicate the areas that will be inundated if the storage level of the dam was increased to 145 feet. When the Kerala officials had raised various issues, the two members are said to have cautioned them that they had not come to listen their views. The members also asked Tamil Nadu officials about the impact that tremors had on the dam.Later, the Kerala officials complained that the members acted harshly. Tamil Nadu officials said they extended full cooperation to the officials present.