Kerala nominates Ashutosh Dash on Mullaperiyar dam panel
Kerala has appointed former Odisha Chief Engineer Ashutosh Dash to the Independent Panel of Experts overseeing the Mullaperiyar dam. This follows a dispute regarding the removal of the state's previous nominee, which the government clarified was due to personal reasons.
Why it matters
The management of the Mullaperiyar dam is a critical infrastructure and political issue involving interstate water safety and regulatory oversight.
Kerala has nominated Ashutosh Dash, former Chief Engineer, Odisha, as its nominee on the Independent Panel of Experts (IPoE) on the Mullaperiyar dam.
Following Kerala’s protests in June over what it termed the “unilateral” decision of the National Dam safety Authority (NDSA) to remove its nominee from the panel, the NDSA had apparently written to the State to nominate an expert to represent it on June 25.
Mr. Dash is a former Chief Engineer and a former Special Secretary to the Odisha government, Kerala Water Resources Department sources said. The NDSA was informed about the State’s nomination last week, they said.
The NDSA, in line with the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, had created the IPoE comprising five members for carrying out the Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation of the Mullaperiyar dam on January 6.
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