New Delhi, Thursday, September 24, 2009: Adding more controversies in the Mullaperiyar dam issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi submitted letter to the center objecting Mullaperiyar dam survey as the matter is pending in Supreme Court.

Reiterating that the State had not received any communication from the Central government on permitting Kerala government to carry out the survey, Karunanidhi, had approached the government to hold the survey.

On Thursday, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh told reporters in New Delhi that Kerala had been allowed to conduct only a ‘limited survey’ of the Mullaperiyar dam under the Forest Conservation Act subject to certain strict safeguards.

Jairam Ramesh also said that the Water Resources Department had sought permission for the survey. It was given on the assurance that no harm would be done to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The permission, given under the Forest Conservation Act, did not mean environmental clearance for raising the height of the dam, for which the State government had to follow a different prescribed procedure and come back to the Environment and Forests Ministry, Mr Jairam Ramesh said