Kerala seeks ways to avoid legal setback over Mullaperiyar tree-felling order
According to legal experts, the order issued by Chief Wildlife Warden of the Kerala Forest Department Bennichan Thomas allowing tree-felling by Tamil Nadu would become a major handicap for Kerala when the court considers the case
According to legal experts, the order issued by Chief Wildlife Warden of the Kerala Forest Department Bennichan Thomas allowing tree-felling by Tamil Nadu would become a major handicap for Kerala when the court considers the case
According to legal experts, the order issued by Chief Wildlife Warden of the Kerala Forest Department Bennichan Thomas allowing tree-felling by Tamil Nadu would become a major handicap for Kerala when the court considers the case
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government is exploring all options to avoid any kind of legal setback in the Mullaperiyar case in the light of the Tamil Nadu Government's move to approach the Supreme Court of India against the freezing of the order that permitted felling of trees at the baby dam site.
Tamil Nadu is most likely to come up with the argument that the Supreme Court's earlier directive was not to impede any move by it to strengthen the baby dam.
According to legal experts, the order issued by Chief Wildlife Warden of the Kerala Forest Department Bennichan Thomas allowing tree-felling by Tamil Nadu would become a major handicap for Kerala when the court considers the case. They point out that it will become difficult for Kerala to stand the test of law even if it argues that the order on tree-felling has been frozen.
The controversial tree-felling order will also become a major topic of discussion at the meeting of the chief ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar issue scheduled for next month.
Though Kerala has put an end to the controversies for the time being by freezing the order, the question remains as to how to overcome the negative impact the government order had created.
However, the political parties in Tamil Nadu are trying their best to exploit to their advantage the public unrest in Tamil Nadu over Kerala's freezing of the order.
Questions that haunt Kerala
The main question that worries Kerala is whether the controversial tree-felling order would weaken the State's demand for a new dam. Another question is what would be the stand of the State if Tamil Nadu argues before the Supreme Court that the freezing of the order tantamounts to contempt of court and Kerala is standing in the way of strengthening of the baby dam.
Keeping Tamil Nadu in good humour
One of the strategies on the part of the Kerala Government is to convince the Supreme Court and Tamil Nadu that the order on tree-felling had been issued as part of creating a conducive atmosphere for ending the Mullaperiyar dispute in an amicable way and the government was forced to freeze the order because of widespread opposition to the move in Kerala.
Tamil Nadu's follow up moves
Tamil Nadu is planning to gain upper hand in the Supreme Court by submitting maximum documentary proof to show that Kerala is torpedoing the moves to solve the Mullaperiyar issue amicably. It also wants to strengthen the baby dam and raise the water level of the main dam to 152 feet.
Tamil Nadu is also using the opportunity to run a strong campaign among people in Tamil Nadu against Kerala for freezing the tree-felling order. The State will also try to demolish Kerala's argument in the Supreme Court that the main dam is not strong.