Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 01: Kerala Chief Minister A K Antony today told the assembly that the government wanted to resolve the issue of renewing the Parambikulam-Aliyar inter state river water sharing agreement with Tamil Nadu by holding bilateral talks. Replying to a calling attention to the necessity for taking steps to renew the agreement, Antony said the government would adopt arbitration process only if the talks between the two states failed. The Parambikulam-Aliyar inter-state river sharing agreement was signed in 1970. Stating that steps were on to review the agreement which was due in 1988, Antony said the technical committee, comprising two experts from both states, had already been constituted. 'If we get the 10 tmc of water from Mannakadavu, the drought situation now experienced in Palakkad ditrict, especially in Chittoor area, can be solved to a great extend', he said.

Antony said Kerala's view was that states should share water according to the quantity of inflow in rivers. The agreement would be renewed by protecting the interests of the state, he added.

Bureau Report