CHENNAI: Ahead of a discussion in the Kerala Assembly on the Mullaiperiyar reservoir issue on Monday in the wake of the Supreme Court rejecting the state’s contention that the dam was unsafe, chief minister Oommen Chandy Sunday said his government was concerned about the safety of people in his state.
“We are concerned about the safety of our people. I have always said publicly that we are not against giving water to Tamil Nadu. We are for it. We are only requesting water for Tamil Nadu and safety for Kerala people,” Mr Chandy told reporters here, while on a personal visit here.
To a query on reports that a water source to Siruvani river, which is also the drinking water source to Coimbatore city, was blocked by the Kerala government, he said, “Our position is very clear. We want to settle every thing through talks.”
The Kerala Assembly would take up on the first day of the monsoon session under Assembly rule 130 the Mullaiperiyar dam issue Monday, in the wake of the Supreme Court rejecting the state’s contention that the 119-year-old dam was unsafe.
Opposition leader in the House V.S. Achuthanandan would move a resolution on the new circumstance that had taken shape after the apex court order, Assembly Speaker G. Karthikeyan had said last week.
