Thaindian News

Chennai, Dec 15 (IANS) Tamil Nadu assembly Thursday unanimously passed a resolution that it would not relinquish its rights over the Mullaperiyar Dam based in Kerala under any circumstances.

The assembly also expressed concern over the Kerala assembly’s resolution that the water level in the 115-year-old dam be reduced to 120 feet and urged the central government to deploy the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to protect the dam.

The Tamil Nadu house resolution urged the Kerala government to amend its law to facilitate an increase in the water storage level to 142 feet and facilitate Tamil Nadu to carry out long-term dam safety measures so that the storage level could be increased to 152 feet.

The resolution was moved by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in a special session of the assembly convened for the purpose.

Jayalalithaa said: “In the recent times, Kerala has been saying that it would supply the same quantity of water to Tamil Nadu like what it gets now. But there is no iota of truth in this.”

She said the Kerala government in its submission to the apex court-appointed empowered committee said that the storage level of the proposed new dam would be 136 feet with a facility to discharge 1.1 thousand million cubic feet water. This clearly shows that the volume of water to Tamil Nadu will come down from the current levels.

“The argument that Mullaperiyar Dam is unsafe is just to deny Tamil Nadu its share of water,” she charged.

She said it was unfortunate that a fear psychosis was being created amongst the Keralites over the safety of the dam.

Appealing to the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to ignore separatist forces, Jayalalithaa said her government was for continuation of the cordial relations between the two states.

She said that her government was confident of stressing its rights through scientific data before the Supreme Court.

Referring to her letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she condemned his silence for more than 20 days.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the dam, built under an 1886 accord between the then Maharaja of Travancore and the erstwhile British Raj.

While it is located in Kerala, the control of the dam is with Tamil Nadu and its waters serve the state.

Tamil Nadu wants the dam’s storage capacity to be increased from the current 136 feet (41.5 metres) to 142 feet (43 metres) as per a Supreme Court order, while Kerala wants a new dam as the control will be with it.