After all-party meet Kerala sticks to demand for new dam

As the Centre stepped in to resolve the standoff over Mullaperiyar row, an all-party meeting in Kerala on Tuesday stuck to the state's demand for a new dam disregarding Tamil Nadu's opposition even as normalcy returned to protest-hit border areas on both sides.

The entire political spectrum in Kerala resolved to move ahead with unity on the issue by pressing for a new dam and lowering the water level to 120 feet in the 116-year old structure over which the state has expressed safety concerns.

Reports from Idduki in Kerala and Theni in Tamil Nadu said tension in the border areas following some incidents on Monday has eased and inter-state vehicular movement resumed, though prohibitory orders remained in force in Kumily, bordering Tamil Nadu.

Welcoming the Centre's decision to convene official level talks as a "positive step forward" to resolve the issue, the meeting authorised the United Democratic Front government headed by Oommen Chandy to pursue Kerala's case taking all legal and administrative steps without compromising good ties with Tamil Nadu.

The leaders wanted people to exercise utmost restraint as the state valued its relations with Tamil Nadu greatly, Chandy told the media.

The meeting was held ahead of the one-day special Kerala Assembly session on December 9 to discuss the dam issue and a day after the Centre invited officials of Tamil Nadu and Kerala for talks on either December 15 or 16.

Chandy said Kerala was ready to give an undertaking that Tamil Nadu would continue to get the same quantum of water even if a new dam was built.

Prohibitory orders were enforced last night in Kumily, a major entry point for movement people heading to Kerala and goods traffic, following stray incidents of stoning of vehicles and gathering of people as part of the protests over the dam issue.

Idukki District Collector E Devadasan said vehicles passed through the border towns without any hurdle on Tuesday. Vehicular traffic had come to a grinding halt on Monday after anti-social elements allegedly pelted stones on Ayyappa devotees from Tamil Nadu in Idduki district.

The police said they have mounted a close vigil on the situation in the area which witnessed retaliatory incidents of stone pelting and attacks on Kerala registered vehicles. District Superintendent of Police T Jayachandran was closely monitoring the situation in the border areas.

The police said a cardamom estate worker from Gudalur, injured in an attack by some miscreants at Kumily on Tuesday, had been brought to Cumbum and hospitalised.

The Centre has convened the talks after both Kerala and Tamil Nadu sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh following escalation of the row. Kerala has mounted pressure for a new dam citing threat to the dam in view of recent tremors and increase in water level. However, Tamil Nadu has maintained that the dam was safe and has asked the prime minister to advise Kerala not to create panic among its people.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has asked the Prime Minister to deploy CISF security for the dam and also moved the Supreme Court in this regard.