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Kerala for consensus on dam issue

Staff Reporter

Minister visits dam site, says State to go `to any extent' if talks fail

KOTTAYAM: Kerala Water Resources Minister N. K. Premachandran, who visited the Mullaperiyar dam on Wednesday, expressed confidence that Kerala and Tamil Nadu would be able to arrive at a consensus on the dam issue through dialogues. He, however, made it clear that if such democratic processes failed, the Kerala Government would not hesitate to go, ``as a last option, to any extent'' if the safety and interests of the people of the State were at stake.

He said the Kerala Government would not allow the water level in the reservoir to rise above the 136-foot mark.

Meanwhile, the water level in the reservoir reached 137.8 ft. on Wednesday. The inflow to the reservoir has been put at 5,680 cubic ft./second, which denotes a decline from the 6,627 cubic ft./second on Tuesday. The outflow through the spillway has been put at 2/499 cubic ft./second.

Mr. Premachandran said efforts were on to find a lasting solution to the issue through dialogues while keeping the waters at a safe level. The Kerala Government is of the opinion that the issue should not be limited to legal points but should be viewed in the larger context of the people of the two States who are inter-dependent.

Mr. Premachandran said the demand to increase the water level to 142 ft. or 152 ft. was not aimed at helping the farmer, as Tamil Nadu was not losing on the availability of water as the data showed. During the 1960-1980 period, the water level in the reservoir had reached the 142-ft. mark 11 times. However, after the water level was fixed at 136 ft., it had reached that level only once, on July 25, 1989. This showed that the Tamil Nadu authorities were taking a higher quantity of water from the reservoir ever since the water level was fixed at 136 ft. This showed that their demand was for increasing their additional income generation capacity, the Minister said.

He said the attempt on the part of the Tamil Nadu authorities on Tuesday to divert more water through Erachilpalam by opening the shutters of the Four Bay Dam, near Kumily, only showed that they themselves were apprehensive of the strength of the century-old structure. Reacting to statements by leaders of Opposition parties, the Minister said the Kerala Government had taken all into confidence at an all-party meeting convened in New Delhi.

The Minister held talks with representatives of non-governmental organisations and various other organisations in the area.

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