Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin has sought full details on the dam that Kerala proposed to build across River Silanthi and the master plan for the Amaravathi and Bhavani sub-basins of the Cauvery basin from his counterpart Pinayari Vijayan and urged him to stop work on the dam across River Silanthi.
The news about Kerala making the initiative to construct the dam across River Silanthi, which would lead to a depletion of the water flowing into Amaravathi, had created a fear among the people about the Amaravathi dam going dry, he told Vijayan.
Since Tamil Nadu had not received any communication on the plans and proposals on the dam construction, Stalin wanted the detail of the proposed project and also about the master plan for Amaravati and Bhavani sub-basins.
In the interest of maintaining cordial relationship between the two states, he also wanted any work that had started on the dam construction to be stopped till a solution to the issue was found.
Meanwhile, the long standing dispute between the two States over the 128-year-old Mullaiperiyar dam in Idukki district threatened to rear its head once again with the Kerala government reviving its demand for the demolition of the dam.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthogai came heavily on the Kerala government seeking permission from the Union Government to demolish the Mullaiperiyar dam and construct another dam in its place and said that such a move would infringe on the rights of Tamil Nadu.
In a statement on Thursday, he said that the courts had settled that the old dam was strong enough and that the water level would be raised to the original 152 feet height and it was illegal on the part of Kerala to demand the dam’s demolition.
Urging the State government to do everything to stop the construction of a new dam at Mullaiperiyar, he said the courts should be approached immediately.
PMK president S Ramadoss said the demand for the demolition of the 128-year-old dam was a conspiracy and urged the Union Government not to give in to Kerala’s demand. In fact the Union Government should instruct the Kerala government to grant permission to Tamil Nadu to remove the 15 trees that were an impediment for the strengthening of the Baby dam at the Mullaiperiyar site.
