As Kerala froze its order permitting felling of bushes in Mullaperiyar neighborhood amid political ripples, the Tamil Nadu authorities on Tuesday launched a duplicate of that directive which stated the permission was following an official’s advice and based on a pact between the 2 states.
It has additionally emerged that whereas Tamil Nadu sought nod for elimination of 23 bushes, permission was granted for clearing 15, which was additionally later frozen. The order signifies that prime Kerala authorities had been within the loop in respect of the choice to permit TN to chop bushes.
The TN authorities launched a duplicate of the “Proceedings of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala,” giving an order permitting Tamil Nadu to fell 15 bushes.
The proceedings, dated November 5, 2021 refers to TN’s plea to take away 23 bushes downstream of Child Dam and widen the bottom of present Child Dam and earthen bund to strengthen the construction at Mullaperiyar Dam web site.
A request was additionally made for elimination of shrubs and bushes in an space of 0.25 Ha (hectare) out of the leased space to TN as a part of the Child Dam strengthening.
Citing such references, the order stated the Deputy Director, Periyar Tiger Reserve East Division really helpful elimination of 15 bushes inside an approximate space of 40 cents falling throughout the leased space of Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar Dam web site.
“As per Clause 5 of the Principal Deed, the Lessee, Tamil Nadu is permitted to fell the bushes, below woods and saplings throughout the leased areas for the upkeep works.”
“The forest produce to be obtained on felling of the bushes are neither supposed for use or to be eliminated exterior the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary by the Dam Authorities.”
The order of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Bennichan Thomas, allowing the Government Engineer of Water Assets Division, Cumbum, Tamil Nadu additionally identifies the species of 15 bushes and its specs in an annexure which might be allowed to be eliminated.
Additional, the order stated the Deputy Director, Periyar Tiger Reserve, East Division would obtain the timber and firewood from the dam authorities (Tamil Nadu) and use the identical for formation of brushwood gully plugging / brushwood test dam at appropriate close by areas exterior the leased space.
A duplicate of the order was submitted to Extra Chief Secretary, Water Assets Division and Principal Secretary, Forests and Wildlife Division, Kerala.
Following Bennichan Thomas’s order, Deputy Director (Challenge Tiger) Periyar East Division, Thekkady, A P Sunil Babu on November 6 intimated the Tamil Nadu official, J Sam Erwin (Government Engineer, WRD, Periyar Dam Particular Division, Cumbum in Theni District) that permission is granted for slicing 15 bushes.
On Monday, the Kerala Meeting witnessed noisy scenes over the Left authorities’s order granting permission to Tamil Nadu for felling 15 bushes because the opposition UDF demanded a judicial probe into the problem and staged a walkout.
On November 7, the Kerala authorities froze the order granting permission to Tamil Nadu for felling 15 bushes and determined to take motion towards officers who had issued it, a day after TN Chief Minister M Ok Stalin thanked his counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan for permitting elimination of bushes.
In Tamil Nadu, opposition events AIADMK and BJP have been concentrating on the ruling DMK over the Mullaperiyar subject.
The Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala was constructed throughout Periyar River following the Periyar lake lease settlement between Travancore and the Secretary of State for India in 1886. The lease interval is 999 years.
The dam’s development took eight years, confronted a number of challenges and was accomplished in 1895.
The water provide from the dam, which is owned and operated by Tamil Nadu authorities, serves because the life line of individuals in southern TN.
In Kerala, the pronunciation used is ‘Mulla Periyar’ and in Tamil Nadu it’s ‘Mullai Periyar.’
