THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Assembly on Friday rose to the occasion on the Mullaperiyar issue with a united appeal, reflecting the people’s sentiment, for building a new dam in place of the existing 116-year-old ‘surkhi’ structure. The discussions in the Assembly also brought out the statesmanship of many legislators and ministers. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the state wanted to tell the whole world that it was concerned about the safety of lakhs of people whereas it did not want to put any blocks, now or in future, in releasing water to Tamil Nadu as per the 999-year lease agreement. “We are sad that Tamil Nadu is unwilling to accept our plea for a new dam. But we are sure that the neighbouring state will yield in the end,’’ the CM hoped. Registering the angst of the House, Speaker G Karthikeyan observed that the session was being looked upon by Keralites from all over the world in all its seriousness . “It is not an occasion to revel but express the concerns of the state in a matured, measured and calm manner,’’ he reminded. The entire Opposition toed the line of supporting the cause of the state. However, they criticised the government’s ‘shortcomings’ in dealing with the Mullaperiyar issue. It raised the AG’s controversial affidavit issue and pointed out that the points had come in handy for Tamil Nadu while forwarding a memorandum to the Centre. The Opposition was also critical of the Centre’s approach even as everyone is convinced that the overaged dam lies in category three of the seismic zone. Achuthanandan and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan led the Opposition attack saying that the UDF Governnment had failed to make consistent moves in protecting the interests of the state on the issue. Water Resources Minister P J Joseph, however, said that had the report of the Roorkee IIT, which was received in 2009, was made a topic of public debate, the state would have won its case by now. He also declared that he would undertake a fast until death if the Centre failed to intervene positively. Mnister Tiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said that it was estimated that 1.28 lakh families would be affected in the event of a failure of the Mullaperiyar dam. The Minister admitted that the Dam Safety Authority was in a nascent stage and it had to be addressed effectively. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy reminded all that there are lot of limitations for Kerala in the case, the most important being the fact that the accord was renewed after independence in 1970, with clauses prejudicial to the state. Chandy was cautious not to mention the name of the Achutha Menon Govt, which was in power in the state at that time. But the tremors hitting the area again and again where the dam is situated has changed the scene altogether, the CM said.
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