Tamil Nadu urges centre to advise Kerala on Mullaperiyar

Tamil Nadu Thursday asked the central government to advise Kerala to extend its cooperation in carrying out the strengthening of the baby dam and to increase the water storage level to 152 feet in Mullaperiyar Dam as per the orders of the Supreme Court.

The assembly adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam to this effect.

Moving the resolution, Panneerselvam, recalling the Mullaperiyar dam history and the prolonged litigation the state had with Kerala, said as per the apex court orders, the water storage at the Mullaperiyar dam touched 142 feet Nov 21 after a gap of 37 years.

The resolution also urged Kerala to extend its cooperation for undertaking the strengthening work of the baby dam so as to increase the water storage levels to 152 feet in the Mullaperiyar dam.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the dam, built under an 1886 accord between the then Maharaja of Travancore and the erstwhile British Raj.

Though the dam is located in Kerala it is owned, maintained and operated by Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court May 5 had ruled in favour of Tamil Nadu and permitted the state to raise the water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam to 142 feet from its earlier storage level of 136 feet.

Even in 2006 the apex court had said that Kerala cannot obstruct Tamil Nadu from increasing the water level in the dam to 142 feet and from carrying out repair works.