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VS seeks Chief Ministers’ meet on dam

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately convene a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to discuss the Mullaperiyar dam issue.He has sought permission to construct a new dam after decommissioning the existing structure across the Mullaperiyar and reiterated that Kerala will continue to provide water to Tamil Nadu.

Talking to journalists here after meeting the Prime Minister, Mr. Achuthanandan said Dr. Singh had agreed to consider the request. “But everything depends on the response of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on the request,” he said.

In a memorandum to Dr. Singh, Mr. Achuthanandan pointed out that the fragility of the dam caused “fear and panic among our people. What is even more distressing is the inflexible attitude of Tamil Nadu government towards this genuine concern of Kerala.”

In recent months, there had been reports about cracks appearing in the dam’s face, increased seepage and peeling of plaster. Evidently all interim strengthening measures had not been of any use. Further it had been established that it was a seismically active area. This was confirmed by IIT experts.

Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran, who was present, said Kerala was trying to resolve the issue both legally and politically.

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