Coimbatore, Tuesday 31 August 2010: The attitude of the Kerala Government on the Mullaiperiyar dam issue is an impending danger to Tamil Nadu and to the relationship between the people of these two states, General Secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) Vaiko said here.

Talking to reporters, Vaiko said that despite a Supreme Court ruling in Tamil Nadu’s favour, Kerala was going ahead with its plans to construct a dam at a cost of Rs. 380 crore. The dam would be 700 metres in length, 7 feet wide and 54 metres tall, he said.

The site proposed for the new dam is on a lower terrain. “No one would be able to provide water to Tamil Nadu from the new dam,” he said. “Under such circumstances, 2.17 lakh acres in the Southern Districts of Tamil Nadu would go without water for irrigation and nearly 2 crore people would not get drinking water,” he added.

Flaying the DMK Government in Tamil Nadu for its “failure” on the issue, Vaiko said Kerala was going ahead with the construction at a time when the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had appointed a committee to inspect and hear the versions of both the State Governments.

Vaiko said that when Kerala sought 33 adjournments, the counsel representing Tamil Nadu never objected and when Kerala sought transfer of the case to a Constitution Bench, the Tamil Nadu counsel gave his consent. Vaiko asked if the counsel gave the consent on his own or at the instructions of the Chief Minister.

“Soon after the Supreme Court ruling in favour Tamil Nadu, Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a legislation empowering itself to decommission Mullaiperiyar dam and Tamil Nadu failed to do anything about it. After a ruling based on the expert committee report on the strength of the existing structure, the Supreme Court had taken away the rights of Tamil Nadu by constituting another committee,” Vaiko said.

He added that two central legislations and one legislation of the Kerala State Government had prevented construction of any structure in the Periyar Tiger Reserve area. This was strictly complied with in the case of a plea for expansion activities for the benefit of devotees visiting the Sabarimala temple, he said.

Vaiko said Kerala was dependent on Tamil Nadu for commodities such as rice, milk, meat, poultry products, vegetables and fruits, which require a lot of water to produce.

Vaiko alleged that 2000 tmcft of water was being let into Arabian Sea by Kerala. He added that Kerala was bestowed with many natural resources, but not cultivable lands.
“If Tamil Nadu had to go with out water - naturally Kerala would have to go without food.

The day Mullaiperiyar dam is demolished, national integration would be at question and the Centre and State Governments must remember that the subsequent emotional outburst would have serious chain reactions on both sides.” Vaiko appealed to the people of Kerala to impress upon their State Government to “change its attitude”.

Accusing the State Government of resorting to an undeclared emergency, Vaiko said that the State Government was averse to even democratic forms of agitation, alleging no one is spared, including the media and Government officials. Vaiko wanted the Chief Minister to come out with details relating to the functioning of Arasu Cable TV Corporation.