Noting that the situation is not as grave as being projected by both Kerala and Tamil Nadu,the Supreme Court today said that instead of dousing the fire on the Mullaperiyar dam row,both sides are simply adding fuel to it. Taking a stern view on the manner in which both the state governments have tried to rouse public sentiments on the issue,a Constitution Bench led by Justice D K Jain urged them to observe sanity and sensitiveness even as the Supreme Courts empowered committee is preparing a final report on the dam and its water level. Hearing the Tamil Nadu governments petition alleging that Kerala was propagating a fear psychosis citing frequent earthquakes,the SC in turn questioned TN on its decision to bring out full page advertisements on the oral observations of court proceedings. It also dismissed the TN governments plea seeking to restrain the Kerala government from making inflammatory statements. How can we gag anybody. Everybody has the right to protest, the court said. The SC questioned the TN govt for allowing water level to increase beyond 136 feet,in violation of a 2006 apex court order. You are obliged to ensure that it stays at 136 feet, the bench said. It also dismissed the Kerala governments plea for reducing the water level to 120 feet. The situation is not as grave as being projected by both sides. We have widened the scope of the empowered committee, Justice R M Lodha,one of the five judges on the bench,remarked. The court has sought a reply from the Centre on TNs plea seeking CISF deployment at the dam site. The case has been scheduled for further hearing on Thursday.
