Kerala cancels permission given to Tamil Nadu for felling trees in Mullaperiyar

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 7 (UNI) Kerala Government cancelled the permission given to Tamil Nadu for felling 15 trees downstream of Baby dam at Mullaperiyar, State Forest Minister AK Sassendran said on Sunday.
Talking to newspersons here, AK Sassendran claimed that the Chief Minister’s office or his office were not aware of the order issued at the official level. The Chief Forest Conservator made a grave mistake by not informing the matter to the Forest Minister, he added.
“The issue came to the light after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin written a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, thanking him for giving permission to felling the trees. Stern actiin will be taken against those who involved in the controversial issue,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources said the the Supreme Court had not given any direction to Kerala to remove trees following a petition filed in this regard by Tamil Nadu in 2017. But, only the Mullaperiyar Oversight Committee had directed Kerala differ to cutdown trees to strengthen Baby dam.
Reacting to the issue, Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine reiterated the State Government’s stand to construct a new dam at Mullaperiyar to protect people living downstream.