Will take steps to prevent new dam by Kerala: Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu said today it would continue to take steps to pursue all necessary legal action to prevent efforts by Kerala to construct an "unnecessary" new dam to replace the existing over-a-century-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, to protect the interest of farmers of the state.

"We will continue to urge the Union government to enable increasing the maximum level of storage of the existing dam across Mullaperiyar river in accordance with the judgement of the supreme court, and to prevent efforts by Kerala government to construct an unnecessary new dam," governor Surjit Singh Barnala said in his customary address to the assembly.

The apex court had in 2006 allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the storage level to 142 ft from 136 ft.

Barnala said, "Though state government has been making all efforts to resolve inter-state river water disputes through talks and legal means, we witness a situation where some neighbouring states are not even coming forward to give our legitimate share in river waters, thus affecting our farmers' livelihood."

The two states are at loggerheads over the dam, which is located in Kerala but administered by Tamil Nadu.

On the Sethusamudram project, he asked the Centre to remove the hurdles in its implementation, "which has the potential to herald an era of economic strength and prosperity for the state."

It was a "longstanding dream" of Tamils and many scholars and experts who considered its implementation highly desirable, he said, adding that "people of Tamil Nadu are concerned about the delay in execution of this project".