Chennai sources have stated that Chief Minister Jayalalitha has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking him to direct the Ministry of Water Resources to reconsider the need for the proposed legislation, and urged the Centre to “desist from needless adventurism.”
In her letter Ms. Jayalalitha has listed several aspects of the bill to contend that it might end up compromising the existing accountability mechanism and arrangements and as State governments had adequate expertise and the Central Water Commission was also associated with dam safety aspects, there appears to be no pressing need or necessity to have a Central legislation on the issue.
She has said that despite the fact that dams and reservoirs constructed on a river flowing within the State fell squarely within the State government’s competence, the overriding powers proposed in the National Dam Safety Organization to inspect them was against the spirit of the Constitution.
Ms. Jayalalitha has asserted and has disapproved the proposed feature in the bill, which has stipulated that the State Dam Safety Organization would have jurisdiction over all dams located in a State irrespective of who owns, operates and maintains the dam.
