Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Kerala has made a fresh offer to break the deadlock over the Mullaperiyar dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu by agreeing to bear the entire cost of a new dam. However, Tamil Nadu reiterated its demand to raise the water level in the existing reservoir to 152 feet.
In his address at the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Mahabalipuram, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan last week said a new dam at Mullaperiyar was essential in the interest of public safety. Satheesan said the state was prepared to meet the entire cost of constructing a new dam. Kerala also indicated that Tamil Nadu could decide the location.
The offer comes against the backdrop of a dispute that has remained one of the most contentious inter-state issues in southern India for decades. Kerala has consistently maintained that the ageing Mullaperiyar dam poses a safety concern and has sought its replacement with a new structure, while Tamil Nadu has opposed the demand and maintained that the existing dam is safe.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay demanded that the water level in the Mullaperiyar reservoir be raised to 152 feet. Kerala’s willingness to shoulder the entire financial burden of a new dam and allow Tamil Nadu to choose its location could remove some practical objections.
