The State Government has requested cooperation from neighbouring Tamil Nadu in facilitating the construction of a new dam in place of the century-old and controversy-ridden Mullaperiyar dam.
The request was made by the State Water Resources Minister, Mr P. J. Joseph, while talking to newspersons while emerging out of a high-level meeting to brainstorm on current status of inter-State river water issues.
The meeting decided that the State should push the proposal for a new dam across the Mullaperiyar in light of expert reviews that doubted the safety of the aging structure.
The Tamil Nadu Government should take a considered decision in the matter in the larger interests of the lakhs of people living downstream of the dam in Kerala.
The Minister reiterated his Government's stand that it did not want to deny Tamil Nadu its share of water.
But he expressed grave fears about the capability of the dam to withstand tremors in what has been considered a seismically vulnerable region of the State.
With regard to Parambikkulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement, the Minister said that no efforts would be spared in negotiating a fresh agreement with the neighbouring State.
The meeting discussed issues related to the optimum use of the 6 tmc ft of water available to Kerala in Attappady as part of the Cauvery accord.
Meanwhile, in a separate function, the Electricity Minister, Mr Aryadan Muhammed, said he has had a series of discussions with environmental groups on the fate of the proposed Athirappally hydro-electric project in an ecologically vulnerable area. The Union Minister for Forests and Environment, Mr Jairam Ramesh, had flatly refused to consider environment clearance for the project during a recent visit to the State.
Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Muhammed said the project proposal could be pushed with the centre if only there was a consensus on it.
“Let us try and have a consensus,” the Minister said, adding that it would give him some bargaining power to engage the Centre in the matter.
Replying to another question, he said the State Government would not like entertain the proposed coal-fired Cheemeni thermal project for fears of polluting the environment in the Kasaragod area already reeling under ‘endosulfan' impact.
An LNG feedstock would drive up the cost of power, given where crude oil prices are headed now. In this context, the State government was considering a joint venture with power major NTPC for a new power plant at Ramagundam.