The Evening Wrap: Tamil Nadu moves SC, accuses Kerala of obstructing work on Mullaperiyar dam

Tamil Nadu has accused Kerala in the Supreme Court of “crying foul” about the safety of the over 125-year-old Mullaperiyar dam while at the same time “wilfully obstructing” work essential to maintain the structure. “The State of Kerala on one hand raises the issue of comprehensive dam safety review, but on the other hand is obstructing in granting permissions and approvals for conveying materials and machinery to enable Tamil Nadu from completing the remaining strengthening works,” Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department said in an application. It contended that Kerala has managed to delay even routine annual maintenance works, including painting, patch works, repair to staff quarters, etc., for two months to more than a year. The State said the reconstituted supervisory committee, despite being endowed with powers under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 had miserably failed to ensure that Kerala and its instrumentalities permit and facilitate strengthening and other related works on the dam. Tamil Nadu has sought the court to direct Kerala to allow Tamil Nadu to conduct the remaining strengthening works on the baby and earth dams; the grouting of the main dam; and permission to cut 15 trees to facilitate the strengthening of the baby dam. Tamil Nadu said the permission to cut the trees was granted by Kerala in November 2021 but was withdrawn days later. “Kerala has stated that the balance strengthening works, viz., strengthening the baby dam and earthern dam require forest and wildlife clearances, which is denied. Thus, Kerala has invented a new device to obstruct in carrying out the above strengthening works,” the application said. In 2021, the Kerala government had made a strong pitch in the Supreme Court to decommission the 126-year-old “deteriorated” Mullaperiyar dam operated by Tamil Nadu, and build a new one, saying phenomena like climate change, erratic and heavy rainfall and floods had made the spectre of catastrophe real and near. Kerala’s affidavit had coincided with a red alert issued in Chennai following torrential rains that year. The Chennai rains had come on the heels of several days of downpour in Kerala. The State had also referred to the Uttarakhand flood, also known as the Chamoli disaster of February 2021, mainly attributed to climate change in the environs of the Nanda Devi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The suggestion for a new dam dates back to 1979. Kerala had referred to the decommissioning of another 19th century lime concrete structure, the Victoria dam in Australia, following the detection of seepages in its structure. Poonch IAF convoy attack | Several people detained for questioning, search on for terrorists in J&K Several people were detained for questioning on May 5 as a massive search operation for terrorists behind the Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district entered the second day, officials said. Additional Director General of Police, Jammu, Anand Jain and senior officers of the Army and intelligence agencies visited the ambush spot in the Surankote area. The Army also conducted aerial surveillance using a helicopter, they said. Five IAF personnel were injured in the attack on May 4 evening near Shahsitar and one of them later succumbed to injuries at a military hospital. The officials said a well-coordinated joint operation by the Army and the police was underway in many areas, including Shahsitar, Gursai, Sanai and Sheendara Top, to neutralise the terrorists. The attackers are believed to have fled to a forest after the attack, they said. Besides AK assault rifles, the terrorists also used a U.S.-made M4 carbine and steel bullets to cause maximum casualties, the officials added. The IAF has identified the fallen hero as Corporal Vikky Pahade and expressed condolences to his family. “The CAS (Chief of Air Staff) Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari & all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch sector, in the service of the nation. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief,” it posted on ‘X’. The officials said teams of the Army’s Para Commandos were also pressed into service in the search operation. There has been no “contact” with the terrorists yet, they said, adding that several people were detained for questioning in connection with the attack, the first major incident in Jammu region this year. The officials said checking of vehicles has been intensified across the district which is going to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 25. Poonch is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency. The border district of Poonch, along with adjoining Rajouri, has witnessed major terrorist attacks over the past two years. The region was peaceful between 2003 and 2021. CISCE Class 10, 12 results on May 6; board to discontinue compartment exams The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will announce Class 10 and 12 board exam results on May 6, officials said. “The ICSE (Class 10) and ICS (Class 12) will be announced on May 6 at 11 am,” board’s Chief Executive and Secretary Joseph Emmanuel said on May 5. The results will be available on the board’s website, the CAREERS portal and DigiLocker. The board has also decided to discontinue compartment exams for Classes 10 and 12 from this session. “Candidates who wish to improve their marks or grades in the same year of examination may take improvement exams in a maximum of two subjects,” Emmanuel added. The improvement exams will be conducted in July. ‘Never refused to give my sample’: Bajrang Punia responds after NADA suspends him World and Olympic medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia and officials of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) have raised questions after the news of Bajrang‘s provisional suspension came to ligh The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) handed Bajrang for refusing to give his urine sample NADA officials. The officials of anti-doping body had approached several wrestlers, including Bajrang, for collecting their samples during the selection trials for Olympic qualifiers that were conducted in Sonipat on March 10 by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-appointed ad-hoc committee. However, they could not get Bajrang’s sample. After 44 days, the NADA sent a letter, dated April 23, to Bajrang saying he had been provisionally suspended for his ‘refusal’ to give his urine sample for dope testing. Tagging one of his old videos, where he was seen questioning the NADA officials why they had brought an outdated kit to collect his sample, Bajrang took to social media X to tell his side of the story. “I want to clarify about the news coming about me for dope test!!! I never refused to give the sample to NADA officials, I requested them to answer me as to what action they took on the expired kit which they had earlier brought to collect my sample. And then take my dope test. My lawyer Vidush(pat) Singhania will reply to this letter in due course of time,” he said on May 5. The WFI questioned why NADA, after taking more than a month to send a notice to the athlete, sent a copy of the notice to the ad-hoc body, which was dissolved on April 18, instead of the federation. “NADA has been doing all the correspondence regarding athletes’ whereabouts and other matters with us, but they sent a copy of the notice of (Bajrang’s) suspension to the non-existent ad-hoc body without informing us. Had Bajrang competed in the Federation Cup in Varanasi on April 24, then we would have been in trouble for letting a suspended athlete take part in an event,” WFI president Sanjay Singh said. NADA officials were present at Varanasi to collect samples from wrestlers participating in the Federation Cup. So far, India has not won a Paris Olympic quota place in the men’s freestyle 65kg weight class. If Sujeet Kalkal manages to earn one in the last qualifier in Istanbul this month, then the suspension may jeopardise Bajrang’s chances of challenging the quota place winner in the final trials next month. Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet votes to permanently close Al Jazeera offices in Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5 that his government has voted unanimously to shut down the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera. Netanyahu announced the decision on X but details on the implications of the step on the channel, when it would go into effect or whether it was permanent or temporary shuttered were not immediately clear. The decision escalated Israel’s long-running feud against Al Jazeera. It also threatened to heighten tensions with Qatar, which owns the channel, at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza. Al Jazeera, the Doha-based broadcaster funded by Qatar’s government, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language broadcaster acknowledged the news in its broadcast on May 5. Its English arm continued to operate with live shots from East Jerusalem just minutes after the announcement by Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Israel’s main cable provider has halted broadcasts of the Al Jazeera news station, citing a ban on the channel approved Sunday by the government. The “Hot” cable provider on May 5 afternoon turned off Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in both English and Arabic. “In accordance with the government decision, broadcaster Al-Jazeera has stopped in Israel,” it said in a message on screen. In Israel, the channel’s websites in Arabic and English remained operational, and the station could still be watched live on YouTube in both languages. Poll roundup: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 5 offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya before beginning a roadshow in the holy town. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and the BJP’s Faizabad candidate Lallu Singh accompanied him. He also addressed a rally in Dhaurahra and said that Muslims now understood that the Congress and the INDIA bloc are using them as pawns, asserting that the community is distancing itself from them after seeing the development carried out by the BJP. He said that the poor and those belonging to the SC, ST and OBC communities have also come to the BJP. Earlier in the day, in a rally in Etawah, Modi attacked the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, saying they are contesting elections to benefit their families and their vote banks. The Communist Party of India-Marxist released a video of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, generated using artificial intelligence, where the communist veteran is seen urging people to vote for Left democratic secular candidates. The two-minute video of Bhattacharjee in Bengali was shared on the social media handles of the party with the title ‘Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s call to save the country and the state in the current political situation’. In the video, the former CM refers to the Sandeshkhali incident and says that the injustice by the TMC cannot be forgiven and corruption had become rampant in the State. The video shows Mr. Bhattacharjee commenting on corruption with electoral bonds, and that the BJP is spewing communal hatred. Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh’s Bina assembly seat, Nirmala Sapre, joined the ruling BJP in the State on May 5. She is the third MLA to switch over from the Congress to the BJP since the model code of conduct came into effect following the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls in March. Sapre joined the BJP in the presence of CM Mohan Yadav during a public rally at Rahatgarh in Sagar district. Later, talking to reporters, Sapre said she had made several promises to the people of her constituency but was not able to fulfil them. In brief Seasoned fast bowler Tushar Deshpande claimed two wickets for 35 runs to guide CSK to a 28-run win against Punjab Super Kings during their IPL match on May 5 and bring his team’s IPL campaign back on track. After CSK’s innings ended at 167 for 9, it did not seem to be a great total on the HPCA Stadium surface. However, Deshpande struck in his opening over, dismissing the in-form Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Russouw in a span of three deliveries. Punjab Kings could not recover thereon before finishing at 139 for 9. The Evening wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 05 May 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court, accuses Kerala of obstructing work on Mullaperiyar dam while ‘crying foul’ about its safety [Tamil Nadu has accused Kerala in the Supreme Court of “crying foul” about the safety of the over 125-year-old Mullaperiyar dam while at the same time “wilfully obstructing” work essential to maintain the structure.]( “The State of Kerala on one hand raises the issue of comprehensive dam safety review, but on the other hand is obstructing in granting permissions and approvals for conveying materials and machinery to enable Tamil Nadu from completing the remaining strengthening works,” Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department said in an application. It contended that Kerala has managed to delay even routine annual maintenance works, including painting, patch works, repair to staff quarters, etc., for two months to more than a year. The State said the reconstituted supervisory committee, despite being endowed with powers under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 had miserably failed to ensure that Kerala and its instrumentalities permit and facilitate strengthening and other related works on the dam. Tamil Nadu has sought the court to direct Kerala to allow Tamil Nadu to conduct the remaining strengthening works on the baby and earth dams; the grouting of the main dam; and permission to cut 15 trees to facilitate the strengthening of the baby dam. Tamil Nadu said the permission to cut the trees was granted by Kerala in November 2021 but was withdrawn days later. “Kerala has stated that the balance strengthening works, viz., strengthening the baby dam and earthern dam require forest and wildlife clearances, which is denied. Thus, Kerala has invented a new device to obstruct in carrying out the above strengthening works,” the application said. In 2021, the Kerala government had made a strong pitch in the Supreme Court to decommission the 126-year-old “deteriorated” Mullaperiyar dam operated by Tamil Nadu, and build a new one, saying phenomena like climate change, erratic and heavy rainfall and floods had made the spectre of catastrophe real and near. Kerala’s affidavit had coincided with a red alert issued in Chennai following torrential rains that year. The Chennai rains had come on the heels of several days of downpour in Kerala. The State had also referred to the Uttarakhand flood, also known as the Chamoli disaster of February 2021, mainly attributed to climate change in the environs of the Nanda Devi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The suggestion for a new dam dates back to 1979. Kerala had referred to the decommissioning of another 19th century lime concrete structure, the Victoria dam in Australia, following the detection of seepages in its structure. Poonch IAF convoy attack | Several people detained for questioning, search on for terrorists in J&K [Several people were detained for questioning on May 5 as a massive search operation for terrorists behind the Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district entered the second day, officials said.]( Additional Director General of Police, Jammu, Anand Jain and senior officers of the Army and intelligence agencies visited the ambush spot in the Surankote area. The Army also conducted aerial surveillance using a helicopter, they said. Five IAF personnel were injured in the attack on May 4 evening near Shahsitar and one of them later succumbed to injuries at a military hospital. The officials said a well-coordinated joint operation by the Army and the police was underway in many areas, including Shahsitar, Gursai, Sanai and Sheendara Top, to neutralise the terrorists. The attackers are believed to have fled to a forest after the attack, they said. Besides AK assault rifles, the terrorists also used a U.S.-made M4 carbine and steel bullets to cause maximum casualties, the officials added. The IAF has identified the fallen hero as Corporal Vikky Pahade and expressed condolences to his family. “The CAS (Chief of Air Staff) Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari & all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch sector, in the service of the nation. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief,” it posted on ‘X’. The officials said teams of the Army’s Para Commandos were also pressed into service in the search operation. There has been no “contact” with the terrorists yet, they said, adding that several people were detained for questioning in connection with the attack, the first major incident in Jammu region this year. The officials said checking of vehicles has been intensified across the district which is going to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 25. Poonch is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency. The border district of Poonch, along with adjoining Rajouri, has witnessed major terrorist attacks over the past two years. The region was peaceful between 2003 and 2021. CISCE Class 10, 12 results on May 6; board to discontinue compartment exams [The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will announce Class 10 and 12 board exam results on May 6, officials said.]( “The ICSE (Class 10) and ICS (Class 12) will be announced on May 6 at 11 am,” board’s Chief Executive and Secretary Joseph Emmanuel said on May 5. The results will be available on the board’s website, the CAREERS portal and DigiLocker. The board has also decided to discontinue compartment exams for Classes 10 and 12 from this session. “Candidates who wish to improve their marks or grades in the same year of examination may take improvement exams in a maximum of two subjects,” Emmanuel added. The improvement exams will be conducted in July. ‘Never refused to give my sample’: Bajrang Punia responds after NADA suspends him [World and Olympic medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia and officials of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) have raised questions after the news of Bajrang‘s provisional suspension came to ligh]( The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) handed Bajrang for refusing to give his urine sample NADA officials. The officials of anti-doping body had approached several wrestlers, including Bajrang, for collecting their samples during the selection trials for Olympic qualifiers that were conducted in Sonipat on March 10 by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-appointed ad-hoc committee. However, they could not get Bajrang’s sample. After 44 days, the NADA sent a letter, dated April 23, to Bajrang saying he had been provisionally suspended for his ‘refusal’ to give his urine sample for dope testing. Tagging one of his old videos, where he was seen questioning the NADA officials why they had brought an outdated kit to collect his sample, Bajrang took to social media X to tell his side of the story. “I want to clarify about the news coming about me for dope test!!! I never refused to give the sample to NADA officials, I requested them to answer me as to what action they took on the expired kit which they had earlier brought to collect my sample. And then take my dope test. My lawyer Vidush(pat) Singhania will reply to this letter in due course of time,” he said on May 5. The WFI questioned why NADA, after taking more than a month to send a notice to the athlete, sent a copy of the notice to the ad-hoc body, which was dissolved on April 18, instead of the federation. “NADA has been doing all the correspondence regarding athletes’ whereabouts and other matters with us, but they sent a copy of the notice of (Bajrang’s) suspension to the non-existent ad-hoc body without informing us. Had Bajrang competed in the Federation Cup in Varanasi on April 24, then we would have been in trouble for letting a suspended athlete take part in an event,” WFI president Sanjay Singh said. NADA officials were present at Varanasi to collect samples from wrestlers participating in the Federation Cup. So far, India has not won a Paris Olympic quota place in the men’s freestyle 65kg weight class. If Sujeet Kalkal manages to earn one in the last qualifier in Istanbul this month, then the suspension may jeopardise Bajrang’s chances of challenging the quota place winner in the final trials next month. Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet votes to permanently close Al Jazeera offices in Israel [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5 that his government has voted unanimously to shut down the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.]( [Netanyahu]( announced the decision on X but details on the implications of the step on the channel, when it would go into effect or whether it was permanent or temporary shuttered were not immediately clear. The decision escalated Israel’s long-running feud against Al Jazeera. It also threatened to heighten tensions with Qatar, which owns the channel, at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza. Al Jazeera, the Doha-based broadcaster funded by Qatar’s government, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language broadcaster acknowledged the news in its broadcast on May 5. Its English arm continued to operate with live shots from East Jerusalem just minutes after the announcement by Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Israel’s main cable provider has halted broadcasts of the Al Jazeera news station, citing a ban on the channel approved Sunday by the government. The “Hot” cable provider on May 5 afternoon turned off Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in both English and Arabic. “In accordance with the government decision, broadcaster Al-Jazeera has stopped in Israel,” it said in a message on screen. In Israel, the channel’s websites in Arabic and English remained operational, and the station could still be watched live on YouTube in both languages. Poll roundup: - Prime Minister [Narendra Modi on May 5 offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya before beginning a roadshow]( in the holy town. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and the BJP’s Faizabad candidate Lallu Singh accompanied him. [He also addressed a rally in Dhaurahra and said that Muslims now understood that the Congress and the INDIA bloc are using them as pawns]( asserting that the community is distancing itself from them after seeing the development carried out by the BJP. He said that the poor and those belonging to the SC, ST and OBC communities have also come to the BJP. Earlier in the day, [in a rally in Etawah, Modi attacked the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, saying they are contesting elections to benefit their families]( and their vote banks. - The [Communist Party of India-Marxist released a video of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, generated using artificial intelligence]( where the communist veteran is seen urging people to vote for Left democratic secular candidates. The two-minute video of Bhattacharjee in Bengali was shared on the social media handles of the party with the title ‘Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s call to save the country and the state in the current political situation’. In the video, the former CM refers to the Sandeshkhali incident and says that the injustice by the TMC cannot be forgiven and corruption had become rampant in the State. The video shows Mr. Bhattacharjee commenting on corruption with electoral bonds, and that the BJP is spewing communal hatred. - [Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh’s Bina assembly seat, Nirmala Sapre, joined the ruling BJP in the State on May 5](. She is the third MLA to switch over from the Congress to the BJP since the model code of conduct came into effect following the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls in March. Sapre joined the BJP in the presence of CM Mohan Yadav during a public rally at Rahatgarh in Sagar district. Later, talking to reporters, Sapre said she had made several promises to the people of her constituency but was not able to fulfil them. In brief [Seasoned fast bowler Tushar Deshpande claimed two wickets for 35 runs to guide CSK to a 28-run win]( against Punjab Super Kings during their IPL match on May 5 and bring his team’s IPL campaign back on track. After CSK’s innings ended at 167 for 9, it did not seem to be a great total on the HPCA Stadium surface. However, Deshpande struck in his opening over, dismissing the in-form Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Russouw in a span of three deliveries. Punjab Kings could not recover thereon before finishing at 139 for 9. The Evening wrap will return tomorrow [Sign up for free]( Today’s Top Picks [[Watch | Interview | I disagree with Hindutva and politics | Interview with Udayanraje Bhosale and Shahu Chhatrapati] Watch | Interview | I disagree with Hindutva and politics | Interview with Udayanraje Bhosale and Shahu Chhatrapati]( [[Watch | Amidst brewing Kshatriya community discontent, Rupala and Dhanani clash in Rajkot] Watch | Amidst brewing Kshatriya community discontent, Rupala and Dhanani clash in Rajkot]( [[Watch | ‘Dip in voter turnout may benefit Congress’: Digvijaya Singh] Watch | ‘Dip in voter turnout may benefit Congress’: Digvijaya Singh]( [[Watch | Rajput agitation at Rajkot] Watch | Rajput agitation at Rajkot]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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