Chandy backtracks on joint ownership, seeks TN assent on new dam

Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy told senior journalists from Chennai today that a new dam is the only solution to the Mullaperiyar imbroglio, but he would like to get the consent of Tamil Nadu before going ahead with the plan. The state is willing to take any step, including an undertaking to the Supreme Court or a resolution in the state Assembly, to ensure that Tamil Nadu will continue to get the same quantum of water that it is drawing now, he said. Appearing resolute in his present stand after considerable political seesaw over the last few days that drew ridicule and intense criticism from his allies and opposition parties, he said the state is completely within in its rights to build a new dam in its territory to protect the lives of three million people. [caption id=“attachment_175198” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=" Chandy said even if the Supreme Court verdict does not favour Kerala, the state will have sufficient recourse to legal and legislative remedies. Image courtesy: PIB"]  [/caption] However, he was silent on the ownership of the dam, which two days ago he had said could be jointly held by Tamil Nadu and the Centre. Under intense political pressure from allies and opposition, he backtracked on the offer yesterday. It can be discussed later, he said responding to a question. He said even if the Supreme Court verdict does not favour Kerala, the state will have sufficient recourse to legal and legislative remedies. Today’s interaction with invited Chennai journalists, oraganised at short notice, was the latest in Chandy’s media strategy to generate favourable opinion on the issue in Tamil Nadu. Although Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had started this with full page advertisements targetting Kerala, Chandy has a leg up now. The journalists, although his guests, were not willing to buy his argument and said that Kerala’s promise on uninterrupted supply of water cannot be trusted because of its “poor track record”, referring to its appeals in the Supreme Court on the level of water in the dam. The present level of water in the dam had been brought down to 136 feet from 142 feet through such an intervention. They also told him that the fear of a possible breach of the dam among the people of Kerala is irrational and there is no need for a new dam. Interestingly, even journalists from Kerala, working for national media in Chennai, who are often accused of a pro-Kerala stand on the issue, toed the Tamil Nadu line. Unlike his other press briefings, today’s interaction was neither televised nor were local journalists invited. Pushed to a desperate situation with limited political space by his ruling ally Kerala Congress, and the opposition, Chandy and his party colleagues have been inconsistent in their stand on the possible solutions to the issue. While he proposed joint ownership of a new dam couple of days ago and withdrew it the next day, his revenue minister had said that Tamil Nadu had a legal right to the present dam and its water owing to the lease agreement in its hand. Another party leader openly admitted helplessness in pushing the case and said the state should be willing to compromise on certain conditions such as the ownership to make any progress. Bereft of any responsibility other than making political capital out of the Congress’ helplessness, CPM-led opposition continues to poke fun at Chandy and his party. The opposition said their stand will weaken the state’s case in the Supreme Court. After some relative calm, when tempers between the states appeared to have died down, the dam has yet again become the most hotly debated political issue in the state: an issue that folds in itself fear, provincial pride and political opportunism.