New Delhi: It is Kerala vs Tamil Nadu in Parliament now, as MPs from both states brought the Mullaperiyar Dam issue to the Centre.
While Kerala MPs demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to save the state from the dam, Tamil Nadu MPs said the government must wait for the courts to decide.
Kerala MPs cutting across party lines on Monday sat on a daylong dharna in Parliament seeking the immediate intervention of the Prime Minister.
Sot Jose Mani, CONG MP from Kerala-
The Dam has been a bone of contention between the Kerala and the Tamil Nadu governments for long. On Monday, it reached a feverish pitch with Kerala ministers and MPs taking the dispute to Centre. However, Tamil Nadu MPs chose to play it safe.
“The dam can still hold 6 feet of water, we want this issue to be amicably resolved. The matter is in court,” said DMK MP Trichy Shiva.
Kerala wants a new dam in Mullaperiyar. It says increasing seismic activity in the region has weakened the 116-year-old dam. Over 30 earthquakes and tremors were registered in the last few months. However the Tamil Nadu government vouches for its safety.
Tamil Nadu wants the dam's storage capacity to be increased as irrigation needs have shot up. However, Kerala wants the water level to be lowered to 120 feet.
Rights groups in Kerala say the dam poses a threat to 30 lakh people in the districts of Idukki and Kottayam.
What has made the matter worse is the incessant rain in the dam's catchment area. The fear is it would soon cross the acceptable limit of 136 feet.
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