Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday called upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to direct the Union Water Resources Ministry to delete “objectionable sub-clauses” from the draft Dam Safety Bill 2010.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, she recalled her previous communication, sent in July 2011, in which she had urged him to ensure that certain modifications/additions to the draft Bill were carried out so that interests of the State were protected. Then, it had been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources.

Status of the bird may be changed from ‘least concern' to ‘near-threatened or vulnerable'

The conversation status of river tern, a bird species found mostly in inland waterbodies, is being reviewed by BirdLife International (BI), which assesses the conservation status of birds for the Red List of the Globally Threatened Birds for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Kerala has reasons for being concerned about the Bill because of its implications for the Mullaperiyar dam that it considers unsafe. Moreover, three other dams operated by Tamil Nadu — Parambikulam, Thunakadavu, and Peruvaripallam — are within the State. Tamil Nadu is opposing jurisdiction of Kerala's dam safety set-up over dams owned and operated by it. (The Bill proposes a State-level committee for overseeing safety at the local level.)

Kerala Minister for Water Resources P.J. Joseph said a Ministerial-level talk between Kerala and Tamil Nadu would be held soon on the renewal of the inter-State Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) to resolve the long-standing issues on sharing the waters of Periyar, Chalakudipuzha and Bharathapuzha.

Addressing journalists after a review meeting of projects under his Ministry here on Friday, Mr.

To benefit colonies in Parambikulam
PALAKKAD : The Chittur sub-division of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) on Friday commissioned two mini-water supply schemes for the remote tribal hamlets in Parambikulam Tiger Reserve.

The projects are expected to address drinking water shortage in the hamlets and benefit 42 tribal families in Earth Dam colony, 27 in Kadar Colony and 65 in PAP Colony.

Th

PALAKKAD: Kerala is likely to press for the renewal of the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement at the next Chief Secretary-level talks with Tamil Nadu. Kerala wants the neighbouring State to ensure

PALAKKAD: The Deseeya Karshaka Samajam has urged Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to get water released by Tamil Nadu immediately from the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) for paddy cultivation in the Chitturpuzha irrigation scheme area. The request was made at a general body meeting of the organisation here on Tuesday.

PALAKKAD: The Tamil Nadu government is learnt to have considered the request by Kerala Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran to release water from the inter-State Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) at Manacadavu weir to take up the cultivation of the first crop of paddy in the Chitturpuzha ayacut area of the district.

PALAKKAD: The meeting of the Joint Water Regulation Board (JWRB) of the inter-State Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) will be held at Thiruvananthapuram on April 7. The meet will settle the water account of this water year, ending June, and will discuss water-sharing for next water year.

Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD: Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take a