Jayalalitha rakes up Mullaperiyar Dam issue

Dindigul, March 26:

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Tuesday urged people to vote for her party as the central government acted against the state's interest in the Mullaperiyar Dam issue.

Addressing an election rally here about 450 km from Chennai, the AIADMK general secretary said the centre acted against the interests of the five Tamil Nadu districts, including Dindigul and Theni, in the dam issue.

She said the DMK too which was part of the central government had kept quiet while now it is saying it would urge the centre to increase the dam's water storage level to 152 ft.

While it is located in Kerala, the control of the dam is with Tamil Nadu

Jayalalithaa said as the central government did not deploy Central Industrial Security Force to protect the Mullaperiyar Dam, the Kerala government is putting hurdles in carrying out maintenance work there. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the dam, built under an 1886 accord between the then Maharaja of Travancore and the erstwhile British.

While it is located in Kerala, the control of the dam is with Tamil Nadu and its waters serve the state.

Tamil Nadu wants the dam's storage capacity to be increased from the current 136 feet (41.5 metres) to 142 feet (43 metres) as per a Supreme Court order, while Kerala wants a new dam as the control will be with it.

Jayalalithaa said the DMK snapped ties with the Congress following the arrest of DMK president M. Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi and party Lok Sabha member A. Raja.

IANS