Mullaperiyar row: Chandy meets PM,wants permission to build new dam

He said Kerala’s approach was to provide Tamil Nadu with adequate quantity of water and safety of its people against the backdrop of fears about the strength of the dam following a series of earthquakes in and around the area.

“The situation is very panicky so we want to reduce the water level from 136 feet to 120 feet,” he said,adding that his government wants the permission of the Centre to construct a new dam to replace the present structure.

He also requested Bansal to ensure that the central government examines the safety aspect of all the dams in the country which are over a 100-years old.

As as per National Register of Large Dams (2009),there are 126 dams in India which are over a century old.

Chandy’s meeting with Singh came a day after the Prime Minister told Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa that nothing should be said or done to create “undue alarm”. Tamil Nadu has accused Kerala of whipping up a ‘fear psychosis’ on the issue.

The chief minister also met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi earlier in the day to brief her about Kerala’s position on the dam issue.

Chandy,in a letter to Jayalalithaa after the latest row erupted,has sought a reduction in the water level in the reservoir to 120 feet as an immediate step to remove fears among people living close to the dam.

Singh had yesterday directed Bansal to arrange an early meeting between officials of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to “sort out outstanding issues and allay genuine concerns”.

While Kerala has expressed apprehension that rising water level in the dam posed a major risk to it,Tamil Nadu has rejected any such fears.