Thiruvananthapuram: Keralites have flooded the official Facebook page of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin with messages of protest as well as requests as the water level in the 125-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam rose to 136 feet on Saturday following heavy rains.
“Sir, please take the water not lives”. “Please help. Mullaperiyar needs a new dam.” Most messages were on these lines.
Stalin has a lot of admirers in Kerala, and we expect the Tamil Nadu chief minister to address our concerns, some campaigners stated.
"While there is no hesitation in giving water to Tamil Nadu, the government of the neighbouring state should stop sticking to the argument that the Mullaperiyar dam is safe. It is time to construct a new dam concerning the safety of the people," read another post.
A massive campaign has been unleashed on social media over the Mullaperiyar dam. The online discussions point out that the dam has become weak and hence the possibility of a dam burst cannot be ruled out.
The report of United Nations University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health has also come up for discussion. It states the Mullaperiyar dam suffers from structural issues and the possibility of a dam-break cannot be ruled out.
When the dam was constructed in 1895 its life span was fixed at 50 years. Following the weakening of the structure, there was a move to decommission the dam. However, after a protracted legal battle which Tamil Nadu won, the debate whether the dam is safe or not is still continuing.
Tamil Nadu's position is that the existing dam is strong and the water level should be raised from 142 ft to 152 ft. The Tamil Nadu Government has set aside even funds for the construction of a baby dam. However, it argues that Kerala is creating obstacles on this front.
The Supreme Court has already directed that both the states will have to reach a consensus if a new dam has to be constructed at Mullaperiyar.
