More cops for dam security, TN, Ker conduct inspections

Chennai, Jan 3 (UNI) A day after a portion of the parapet wall was damaged by miscreants, officials from the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments conducted separate inpsections of Mullaiperiyar Dam, storage level of which has been the bone of contention between the two States.

Based on inputs given by the seven-member Tamil Nadu team headed by Uthamapalayam Tahsildar Murugavel and Dam Superintendent Sundararajan, Theni District Collector Har Sahay Meena has sent a report to the state government, along with pictures of the dam site.

Official sources in Theni told UNI over the phone that the report was despatched to Chief Secretary L K Tripathy.

In a related developed, a team from Kerala, led by Idukki District RDO Vijayakumar and Kumuli Village Officer Vijayakumar visited the dam site and inspected the damaged wall.

Officials of the Kerala team also took pictures on the damaged portion of the wall. They would submit their report to the Kerala government.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government deployed additional security in the dam by posting ten constables to prevent any attack.

'Hitherto only two cops were guarding the Dam on turn shifts. Now the Kerala government has posted ten more constables as part of strengthening security to the dam', the sources said.

'When our (Tamil Nadu) team inspected the site about 12 cops were present at the dam site', the sources said and added that the two teams did not hold any discussions.

It may be recalled that the parapet wall was found damaged on the New Year Day, prompting Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to dash off a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh seeking deployment of Central forces for the security of the dam.

UNI