Kerala's Siruvani dam project will hit agriculture in 3 districts: M Karunanidhi

Chennai: The construction of a dam across Siruvani river by Kerala would turn three districts of Tamil Nadu into a desert, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Saturday said and asked what steps the Tamil Nadu government is going to take to stop Kerala’s move.

Accusing the AIADMK government of not taking measures at the appropriate time, he demanded the reasons for the delay. He asserted that Kerala government had no powers to construct Siruvani dam and its attempt is purely based on Tamil Nadu’s failure to oppose the project.

The Expert Appraisal Committee had recommended the Siruvani dam project blaming the Tamil Nadu government for not answering its letters on the project and the state government should have given an explanation, the DMK leader said.

The Kerala government had proposed a dam at Mukkali in Attapadi for a length of 500 metres and height of 51 metres at a cost of '900 crore, he said and added that the area of the proposed dam site gets water from Tamil Nadu. If the project is completed, Coimbatore would lose its drinking water resources and the amount of water flowing in Bhavani would get reduced, affecting irrigation in Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur.

The livelihood of Tamil Nadu farmers is being destroyed by attempts to build a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu by Karnataka, construction of check dams across Palar river by Andhra Pradesh government and proposal to build dam across Siruvani. But, TN government, which should briskly function at a super fast rate is complacent, he alleged.