Overview
- The National Dam Safety Authority removed Kerala's nominee T. K. Sivarajan from the five-member Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation Committee that will assess the 1895 Mullaperiyar dam, a move Kerala says it learned of only by letter.
- Kerala Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph formally objected and demanded reinstatement, saying the State was not consulted and that public safety and a Kerala voice on the panel are being sidelined.
- Congress MP Dean Kuriakose and MPs from Kerala's UDF and LDF have asked the Union Jal Shakti Minister to intervene and sought immediate restoration of Kerala's representative.
- Tamil Nadu's recent policy statement promising to block a new Mullaperiyar dam and to raise reservoir levels has raised tensions between the states and sharpened disputes over water use versus safety.
- If the panel composition is not corrected, Kerala says it will escalate to the Union ministry or place the issue before the Supreme Court, a step that could prolong legal oversight and delay the safety evaluation that affects downstream communities' risk and water supply.