The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the State government on a public interest litigation petition filed by an advocate seeking a direction to the authorities to conduct surveys and feasibility studies to drill a second tunnel at 50 feet in the Mullaperiyar dam so that the agriculturalists of southern districts in Tamil Nadu are benefited.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and J. Sathya Narayana Prasad sought the response of the State government on a petition filed by M. Sundararaj of Madurai district.
The petitioner said the Supreme Court had issued a series of directions pertaining to the Mullaperiyar issue and suggested the conducting of surveys and feasibility studies to drill a second tunnel at 50 feet.
He contended if it was implemented and another tunnel was drilled at 50 feet, it would benefit the agriculturalists of southern districts. The people of Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts would get benefitted and get adequate drinking water and also sufficient water to irrigate the agricultural fields.
However, neither the Tamil Nadu government nor the Kerala government took taken steps to implement it, he said. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, the drilling of the tunnel at 50 feet may be initiated after conducting surveys, designs, and techno-economic feasibility studies. Till now, there were no signs of works being initiated by Tamil Nadu, he said and sought a direction to the authorities to conduct surveys and feasibility studies to drill the second tunnel at 50 feet in Mullaperiyar dam.
