Madurai: The Mullaperiyar Dam Rights Retrieval
Committee, spearheaded by MDMK leader Vaiko, today said it
would block all 13 roads from Tamil Nadu leading to Kerala on
May 28 protesting "denial" of the state's rights over the dam.
Vaiko and Tamizhar Desiya Iyakkam leader P Nedumaran told
reporters here that the members of the committee, which also
include various farmers' outfits, would participate in the
blockade in Tirunelvei, Theni, Kanyakumari and Coimbatore,
the border districts.
They accused Kerala Government of taking series of steps to
destroy agriculture in Tamil Nadu by denying its right over
Mullaperiyar dam and creating problems on the course of
Shenbagavalli, Azhiar, Neyyar and Pambaru rivres.
They also said the Supreme Court, which recently set up a
five-member committee to look into all aspects of the dispute
between the two states, should have asked Kerala to implement
its (earlier) order allowing Tamil Nadu to raise the water
level from 136 feet to 142 feet.
Tamil Nadu Government should ask the Centre to direct the
Central Water Irrigation Board to takeover the maintenance of
the dam, they said.
Kerala wants to build a new dam holding that the existing
century-old structure was unsafe while Tamil Nadu has been
opposing it.
-PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 04, 2010, 22:55