Chennai/Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Aug 20 (IANS) The long-running Mullaperiyar dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu showed no signs of easing on Thursday, with Kerala making a fresh offer to break the deadlock by agreeing to bear the entire cost of a new dam, met by Tamil Nadu reiterating its demand to raise the water level in the existing reservoir to 152 feet.
In his address at the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Mahabalipuram, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said a new dam at Mullaperiyar was essential in the interest of public safety.
In what Kerala presented as a major concession, Satheesan said the state was prepared to meet the entire cost of constructing a new dam.
Kerala also indicated that Tamil Nadu could decide the location for the proposed structure, in an effort to address one of the key concerns surrounding the long-pending proposal.
The offer comes against the backdrop of a dispute that has remained one of the most contentious inter-state issues in southern India for decades.
Kerala has consistently maintained that the ageing Mullaperiyar dam poses a safety concern and has sought its replacement with a new structure, while Tamil Nadu has opposed the demand and maintained that the existing dam is safe.
Tamil Nadu, for its part, showed no indication of moving away from its established position at the meeting.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay demanded that the water level in the existing Mullaperiyar reservoir be raised to 152 feet.
The opposing positions once again brought the fundamental difference between the two states into sharp focus.
Kerala’s emphasis on the safety of people living downstream and its demand for a new dam, and Tamil Nadu’s insistence on retaining the existing arrangement and securing a higher storage level.
The latest exchange assumes significance as the issue has remained unresolved despite prolonged negotiations, legal battles and repeated interventions at various levels.
Kerala’s willingness to shoulder the entire financial burden of a new dam and allow Tamil Nadu to choose its location could potentially remove some practical objections to a replacement project.
However, Tamil Nadu’s renewed demand for a 152-foot water level indicates that the core dispute remains far from settled.
For now, the Mullaperiyar impasse continues, with Kerala seeking a new beginning through a new dam and Tamil Nadu holding firmly to the existing one.
–IANS
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