Satellite phones given to TN officials deployed at Mullaperiyar dam

Six satellite phones have been distributed to officials of the Tamil Nadu water resource department who are deployed at Mullaperiyar reservoir site and in Mullaperiyar and Thekkady camps for better communication.

Chief minister M K Stalin handed over the satellite phones to the chief engineer, superintending engineer and their subordinates during a programme at the secretariat on Saturday.

The department procured the phones following the officials’ pleas that they were facing serious problems due to poor network connectivity as their working site is around 14 km deep in forest.

They were unable communicate to the district collector, senior officials of disaster management and their department about the water level in the reservoir, inflow and outflow of water and rain level in and around the catchment areas of the reservoir.

The department procured the satellite phones at accost of Rs 9.50 lakh (including one-year bill charges) after the issue was taken to the notice of WRO minister Duraimurugan during his visit to Mullaperiyar dam in November last year.