Kerala seeks Centre's intervention in resolving the Mullaperiyar row

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to settle the dispute between his state and Tamil Nadu over the Mullaperiyar dam issue and said his government wants the permission of the Centre to build a new dam to replace the 116-year-old structure.

“We want the Prime Minister to intervene in this matter and settle the issue between Tamil Nadu and Kerala,” Chandy told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in Parliament House. He said Kerala’s approach was to provide Tamil Nadu with adequate quantity of water and safety of its people against the backdrop of fears about the strength of the dam following a series of earthquakes in and around the area.

“The situation is very panicky so we want to reduce the water level from 136 feet to 120 feet,” he said, adding that his government wants the permission of the Centre to construct a new dam to replace the present structure.

He also requested Bansal to ensure that the central government examines the safety aspect of all the dams in the country which are over a 100-years old.

As as per National Register of Large Dams (2009), there are 126 dams in India which are over a century old.

Chandy’s meeting with Singh came a day after the Prime Minister told Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa that nothing should be said or done to create “undue alarm”. Tamil Nadu has accused Kerala of whipping up a ‘fear psychosis’ on the issue. The Chief Minister also met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi earlier in the day to brief her about Kerala’s position on the dam issue.

Chandy, in a letter to Jayalalithaa after the latest row erupted, has sought a reduction in the water level in the reservoir to 120 feet as an immediate step to remove fears among people living close to the dam.

Singh had yesterday directed Bansal to arrange an early meeting between officials of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to “sort out outstanding issues and allay genuine concerns”.

While Kerala has expressed apprehension that rising water level in the dam posed a major risk to it, Tamil Nadu has rejected any such fears.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government today informed the state High Court that at least 450 families living near the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam area would be evacuated to safer places soon.

In a counter-affidavit, the government also said that a mock safety drill will be conducted near the dam area. The submission was made after the division bench directed the Government to give details of the safety measures being contemplated anticipating threat to the dam.

Hearing a batch of petitions relating to safety concerns over the dam, the court sought details from the government about the water level of Cheruthoni, Kulamavu and Idukki dams. A division bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice PR Ramachandra Menon, also asked the Government to explain the steps to lower the water level in these dams.

The court asked the Government whether it was prepared to seek help from the Army in case of an emergency while anticipating threat to Mullaperiyar Dam

PTI