The Hindu Business Line : PM urged to solve Periyar dam issue

FARMERS of five southern districts of Tamil Nadu belonging to the Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam, in a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has urged him to resolve the Periyar dam issue by arranging talks between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The issue relates to raising the height of the dam from 136 feet to 145 feet.

The Sangam's Theni district Secretary, Mr Rethinasamy, in a statement has said that the issue has been dragging for a long time with the Government of Kerala reducing the height to 136 feet following insufficient rains since 1976.

When Kerala raised suspicion over the strength of the dam, the S.S. Brar and T.K. Mittal Committees of the Central Water Commission clarified that the height could be raised. Despite many rounds of talks since then, the matter has not progressed.

The situation has affected the irrigation severely in the five districts. Out of 2,17,000 acres irrigated earlier, now only 70,000 acres are irrigated.

With depletion in the ground water levels, the situation is becoming worse, with people rendered jobless and a good many migrating to other places.