Tamil Nadu border areas hit by dam issue show signs of normalcy

After four days of volatile situation sparked by repeated attempts by villagers to cross into Kerala on the Mullaperiyar dam issue, the border areas in this Tamil Nadu district showed some signs of normalcy as police continued a close vigil.

Bus services, crippled by the protests, resumed while most business establishments and educational institutions started functioning, bringing relief to the Jayalalithaa government a day ahead of the special assembly session on the dam issue.

The session is expected to pass a resolution that the state will not give up its rights over the dam due to 'imaginary threats' about its safety and security.

The DMK organised its second phase of protest on the issue holding a human chain in five southern districts fed by the Mullaperiyar dam for their irrigation needs.

MK Stalin, senior party leader and son of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, led the protest in Theni accusing politicians of Kerala of raking up the issue with an eye on an assembly byelection in that state which could impact stability of the Congress-led UDF government.

After being rocked by protests, Theni district remained incident-free today with collector K C Palanisamy describing the situation as "almost normal".

Police and revenue officials were closely monitoring the situation, he told PTI.

The border areas in the district such as Cumbum, Gudalur and Lower Camp were gripped by tension in the past few days after the villagers, protesting Kerala's stand on the dam issue, attempted to march towards the state. But, they were stopped by police, who made baton charge to disperse them.

With Supreme Court yesterday rejecting Kerala's plea for lowering the water level in the dam to 120 feet, tension started easing in the border areas since last evening itself.