Vaiko urges Centre to deploy CRPF in Mullaperiyar dam

MDMK leader Vaiko today alleged that some forces in Kerala were trying to damage the Mullaperiyar dam, over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been at loggerheads, and urged the Centre to take steps to transfer security to CRPF tentatively and later to the state police.
"Some forces in Kerala are attempting to damage the Mullaperiyar dam. So the Centre should take efforts to transfer security there to Tamil Nadu Police. As a tentative plan, the Centre should take steps to transfer the security to Central Reserve Police Force," he said in a statement.
He claimed the security of the dam was with the Tamil Nadu Police until 1968, the year in which the state voluntarily transferred it to Kerala Police.

Vaiko also cited an IB report warning the Centre of possible attacks by some forces on the dam and recommended the transfer of security to CRPF.
The MDMK founder also recalled recent incidents, including the attack on a Tamil Nadu engineer by some persons in the dam premises, denial of permission to experts and NSG personnel, who had gone there to review the situation.
On May 7 this year, he Supreme Court had held that the 120-year-old dam is safe and allowed the Tamil Nadu government to raise the water level to 142 feet and ultimately to 152 feet after completing strengthening measures on the dam.

A five judge constitution bench had struck down a law promulgated by Kerala, which had been fighting a decade long battle with Tamil Nadu, declaring the dam as endangered and fixing the water level at 136 feet.