Dam row: Avoid undue alarm, PM tells Jaya

The political battle over the Mullaperiyar dam row escalated today with Tamil Nadu accusing Kerala of whipping up a 'fear psychosis' even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said nothing should be said or done to create "undue alarm".

In his first communication to his Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa after the latest row erupted, Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy, who is expected to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow, wrote a letter asking for reducing the water level in the reservoir to 120 feet as an immediate step to remove the fears of lakhs of people in the area.

With emotions running high in both the southern states, Prime Minister Singh sought to defuse the situation writing to Jayalalithaa, saying nothing should be said or done to create "undue alarm" and hoped the issue would be sorted out amicably through dialogue.

Replying to letters written by Jayalalithaa on the Mullaperiyar issue, Singh said he had asked the Water Resources Ministry to convene an early meeting between officials of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to "sort out outstanding issues and allay genuine concerns".

He also sought Jayalalithaa's cooperation on the issue.

"I believe that nothing should be said or done to create undue alarm among the people," he added.

The Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court accusing Kerala government of whipping up "fear psychosis" on Mullaperiyar row and sought the court's direction, restraining the state from making any controversial statement.

In an urgent application to the apex court, Tamil Nadu alleged that Kerala, despite a status quo order by the apex court, was making public statements on issues of pulling down the century-old dam and constructing a new one in its place.

According to Tamil Nadu, the statements emanating from Kerala were "creating deep rooted animosities" between the people of the two states and posing grave threat to the peace and law and order situation in the two neighbouring states.

Chandy, who is on his way to Delhi, is slated to meet the Prime Minister and other Central leaders tomorrow to drum up support for the construction of a new dam in place of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, citing safety concerns.