MULLAPERIYAR—ALL PARTY MEET URGED THE CENTER TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM

MULLAPERIYAR—ALL PARTY MEET URGED THE CENTER TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM

Taking a serious view of recurrence of tremors in the vicinity of Mullaperiyar dam and the grave consequences if the dam bursts, an all party meet on 23^rd November,2011, urged the Centre to intervene and resolve the vexed issue between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy requested Tamil Nadu to co-operate with the state for building a new dam in place of the 116-year old structure and also de-commission the existing dam.As a temporary step, the meeting wanted to bring down the storage level to 120 feet from 136 feet, considering its safety aspects. Water Resources Minister P J Joseph and Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said they would leave for Delhi to apprise leaders at the Centre about the state's anxiety and other aspects of the Mullaperiyar dam. 'However, parties at the meet were clear that lowering the storage level is only a temporary measure and that the only permanent solution is construction of a new dam,' Joseph told reporters after the meeting.

Seeking Tamil Nadu's cooperation in resolving the issue, Joseph said Kerala was ready to hold talks with that state. Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, CPI-M politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, former Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran were among those who attended the meeting. Earlier, speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Kerala's prime concern was safety of its people and that the state was ready to bear the entire cost of the new dam.He also made it clear Tamil Nadu would continue to get the same quantity of water which it was now getting,even after the new dam was built. He said Kerala's slogan on Mullaperiyar was 'Water for Tamil Nadu and Safety for Kerala'. The Mullaperiyar issue again came into focus recently after several minor tremors occurred in the area. A study by IIT Roorkie engineers pointed out that the dam would collapse if an earthquake of 6.4 Richter scale struck it.

Kerala MPs to meet PM, Centre says can't impose its decision

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) The Centre today appealed to Tamil Nadu and Kerala to amicably settle the issue of Mullaperiyar Dam between them and expressed its willingness to play a role of 'facilitator'. 'It is amongst themselves that the matter can be sorted out. We can only play a role of facilitator. We want the matter to be sorted out amicably between the two states,' Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters here, stressing that water was a state subject. 'There is no power with Government of India to impose any decision of its own,' Bansal said and added that the Centre could not take any action till Supreme Court-appointed special committee headed by Justice A S Anand looked into the safety spect of the dam.Meanwhile, MPs from Kerala today decided to take up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The decision of the Kerala MPs to meet Singh came after DMK MPs raked up in the Lok Sabha the issue of a film based on damage wreaked by the collapse of a dam and demanded a ban on its release. The members complained that the film was based on the story of Mullaperiyar Dam, over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala are locked in a legal dispute.Senior Congress MP P C Chacko said all Kerala MPs will meet Prime Minister to demand that Kerala should be allowed to construct a new dam in place of the existing structure which is weakened by the recent tremors, posing a threat to not only the livelihood but lives of millions of people. 'We will meet the Prime Minister. We have already sought an appointment,' Chacko said. Tamil Nadu has always been opposed to constructing a new dam near the existing structure, which supplies water to its several southern districts. Describing the issue as 'serious', CPI (M) Rajya Sabha MP K N Balagopal said the central government should urgently intervene to amicably settle the issue with Tamil Nadu. 

                                                                        Prof. John Kurakar