Stalin-Vijayan meeting today on Mullaperiyar dam maintenance issue

Chennai, Dec 12 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will meet his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday to discuss the contentious Mullaperiyar dam issue.

The meeting will take place in Vaikom in Kerala's Kottayam district where CM Stalin will inaugurate the renovated memorial of social reformer and Dravidian ideologue E.V. Ramasamy Periyar. Kerala CM Vijayan will preside over the event.

Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister and senior DMK leader S. Duraimurugan, on Wednesday, said in the state Legislative Assembly that talks would be held in this regard.

The Mullaperiyar issue gained attention recently when vehicles belonging to the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department, carrying materials for dam maintenance, were intercepted by Kerala authorities. This obstruction delayed critical repair activities, sparking unrest in Tamil Nadu.

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 in Tamil Nadu. These residents recently staged protests in front of 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 Deputy Director of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

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 to the issue.

Several dignitaries, including Kerala Ministers V.N. Vasavan and Saji Cheriyan, along with Tamil Nadu Ministers Durai Murugan, E.V. Velu and M.P. 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.