Mullaperiyar issue: Antony breaks silence

KOCHI: Finally, Defence Minister A K Antony broke his long and measured silence on Mullaperiyar. Antony’s intervention was essential in the issue not only as a prominent Union Minister from the State but also as the Defence Minister.A couple of major defence installations are lying in the area which could be affected if  the worst tragedy occurs and the reservoir breaks. The Southern Naval Command, the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) and the Naval Armament Depot (NAD)in Aluva are some of the major defence installations that could be affected by a possible dam break. The Southern Naval Command, the only training command of the Indian Navy in Kochi has hundreds of officers and thousands of other naval personnel attached to it. Major installations, including INS Venduruthy, Gunnery School INS Dronacharya and Naval air station INS Garuda, which are under the Southern Naval Command, could be affected if the dam breaks and water reaches Kochi. When asked about how prepared the Southern Naval Command is to handle an emergency situation in case of a dam break, the Navy officials said they have contingency plans. “The Indian Navy has contingency plans which cater to a broad range of eventualities. Beyond that, we would not like to comment on this specific issue,” said an official response from the Southern Naval Command. The Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory at Thrikkakara is a subsidiary lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Besides the Kochi campus, NPOL has an offsite setup of Under Water Acoustic Research Facility at Idukki lake in Kulamavu. Any casuality in the dam would adversely affect the research facility. Similar is the case of the Naval Armament Depot in Aluva.  As the Defence Minister, it was essential for A K Antony to be concerned about the safety of these two sensitive defence installations. At a time when the Mullaperiyar issue has been creating ripples across the State, the Defence Minister, who is also a three-time Chief Minister of Kerala, has been maintaining a measured silence. However on Monday Antony assured that the Prime Minister had agreed to settle the issue amicably.