Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will meet his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday to discuss the contentious Mullaperiyar dam issue. The meeting will occur in Vaikom in Kerala’s Kottayam district, where CM Stalin will inaugurate the renovated memorial of social reformer and Dravidian ideologue EV Ramasamy Naicker.
Kerala CM Vijayan will preside over the event. Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister and senior DMK leader S Duraimurugan said in the state Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that Stalin and Vijayan would hold talks about the Mullaperiyar issue. The issue gained attention recently when Kerala authorities intercepted vehicles belonging to the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department carrying materials for dam maintenance. This obstruction delayed critical repair activities, sparking unrest in Tamil Nadu.
The leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS), raised the issue in the Assembly, emphasising that the delays have caused unrest among residents of five beneficiary districts. These residents recently staged protests before the John Pennycuick statue, demanding uninterrupted maintenance work on the dam.
In response, Duraimurugan reminded the Assembly of the Supreme Court’s clear directive that Kerala must not obstruct any maintenance work undertaken by Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar Dam. On December 4, two truckloads of M-sand transported by the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (PWD) were stopped at the forest check post in Vallakadavu, located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The trucks, stranded since 3 p.m., had prior clearance from Kerala’s Minor Irrigation Department and the Periyar Tiger Reserve Deputy Director.
Tamil Nadu PWD officials expressed frustration, pointing out that detailed estimates for 16 maintenance works planned for 2024 had been submitted to Kerala authorities well in advance. Despite this, the works continued to face obstruction. This incident prompted over 100 farmers to stage a road blockade at Lower Camp on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Their protest, aimed at preventing Kerala vehicles from entering Tamil Nadu, was called off after police intervention. The farmers condemned the Kerala government for hindering maintenance work on the baby dam and demanded an immediate resolution.
Several dignitaries, including Kerala Ministers V.N. Vasavan and Saji Cheriyan, Tamil Nadu Ministers Durai Murugan, EV Velu and MP Saminathan, are expected to address the event in Vaikom. Key officials such as Kerala Chief Secretary Sharada Muraleedharan, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam, and Kottayam District Collector John V. Samuel are also expected to attend the event.
–IANS
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.