Mullaiperiyar dam issue: different views on CMs' meet

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, APRIL 3. Even as the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are to discuss the two-decade-old Mullaiperiyar dam dispute on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram, divergent opinions among experts here persist whether this will lead to finding a lasting solution to the issue or not.

Since 1996, the two rounds of talks at the level of Irrigation Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala took place, but no breakthrough was achieved. For the first time, the two Chief Ministers will hold a formal discussion on the matter.

One section of the experts feels that as the issue has been highly politicised, only the political executive can thrash out the problem. Three decades ago, when the Parambikulam-Aliyar issue was dragging on, it was left to the Chief Ministers of the two States (Mr. M. Karunanidhi and E.M.S. Namboodripad) to work out the specifics.

But, another group is of the view that there is no meeting ground between the two States and any scaling down by them of their respective stance will only trigger major political controversies.

The present spell of negotiations is to take place in the context of technical reports prepared by the two parties seperately and exchanged between them a few months ago. While the report prepared by Tamil Nadu reiterates the stand of the State, Kerala's report subscribes to the stand of that State, sources say.

Moreover, the Supreme Court, in its order in December last, while hearing a case on transferring to itself all the petitions pending before the High Courts of Madras and Kerala, advised the two States to arrive at consensus on the dispute.

The crux of the problem is over the restoration of the water level in Mullaiperiyar dam from the present 136 ft to 152 ft. The dam, built across the river Periyar, is located in Kerala, but as per a lease deed executed in 1886 between the then Governments of the two States, all the flows into the dam would be used by Tamil Nadu.

Till 1979, water was stored upto 152 ft but, following reports in a section of the Press on the structural safety of the dam, the Central Water Commission ordered that till repair works in a phased manner were completed, maximum storage be maintained at 136 ft.

It has been the contention of Tamil Nadu that it completed almost all the repair works and it should be allowed to raise the level at least upto 145 ft. Besides, the sources argue that when Tamil Nadu agreed 20 years ago to keep the level at 136 ft on the suggestion of the CWC, Kerala should now agree to restore the water level when the same body certifies on the stability of the dam.

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Section  : Regional
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