By IANS
New Delhi : The chief ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu stuck to their respective stance over the Mullaperiyar dam during their meeting here late Wednesday, even as they described their talks as “positive” and said the dialogue would continue to resolve the dispute.
“It was a fruitful discussions but no decision was taken,” Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan told reporters outside Tamil Nadu Bhavan, where he met his Tamil Nadu counterpart M. Karunanidhi.
“The discussions will continue,” he said after the one-and-a-half-hour long meeting.
The two leaders, in the national capital to attend a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC), met following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s advice.
Central Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz was also present at the meeting apart from the state’s water resources ministers – N.K. Premachandran of Kerala and D. Murugan of Tamil Nadu.
While Tamil Nadu wants to raise the height of the dam, which is situated in Kerala but on the land that was given to the neighbouring state on a lease, Kerala argues that the more-than-century-old dam faces security threats.
When Kerala reiterated its fears that the dam was too old and it has much seepage in it, Karunanidhi argued that the technical reports did not indicate so.
“However, the chief minister said a Central Water Commission (CWC) team could be sent to check the dam’s safety again,” Murugan said.
During the meeting, Kerala raised its demand that there should be a new dam in the area. However, the Tamil Nadu leaders pointed out that there were too many legal issues involved in it.
Premachandran said the discussions were positive. “The state will measure the seepages and will confirm that there is a serious threat to the dam,” Premachandran told IANS here.
The two states have been involved in a war of words over the Mullaperiyar dam, located in Idukki district, with Tamil Nadu protesting Kerala’s opposition to raising the water height to 142 feet.
Kerala wants the reservoir water to remain at 132 feet, saying the dam is too old and unsafe. Tamil Nadu is opposed to construction of a new dam.