New Delhi: With the political battle intensifying between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar dam issue, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is expected to meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.
Chandy is slated to meet the Prime Minister and other Central leaders to drum up support for the construction of a new dam in place of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, citing safety concerns.
Chandy on Thursday wrote a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa to take steps to reduce the water level in the reservoir to 120 feet as an immediate step to remove the anxiety of the people.
In an urgent application to the Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu alleged that Kerala, despite a status quo order by the apex court, was making public statements on pulling down the century-old dam and constructing a new one in its place.
The MPs from Tamil and Kerala on Tuesday sought Manmohan Singh's intervention to resolve the complex issue.
Tamil Nadu wants the dam's storage capacity to be increased by raising the dam height - from 136 feet (41.5 m) to 142 feet (43 m) to meet growing irrigation needs in the state.
Kerala, on the other hand, wants a new dam as it fears that a strong earthquake might damage the existing dam.
With Additional Inputs From Agencies
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