Chennai: The Centre’s nod for Kerala to conduct a study to construct a new dam to replace the century-old Mullaiperiyar dam unites Tamil Nadu political parties. DMK president M. Karunanidhi calls for CM O. Panneerselvam to lead an all-party delegation to call on PM Narendra Modi, while CPM state secretary G. Ramakrishnan condemns the Centre.
In a statement, Mr Karunanidhi urged Mr Panneerselvam to lead an all-party delegation to meet Mr Modi, seeking his intervention to revoke the nod given to Kerala for carrying out an environmental impact assessment study to construct a new Mullaiperiyar dam.“The Centre's nod for a study in Mullaiperiyar will adversely impact Tamil Nadu and it will be tantamount to ignoring the Supreme Court order," he said, and added that the act of the Cenre in giving permission without seeking Tamil Nadu's opinion deserved to be strongly condemned.
The national board for wildlife had given the clearance to Kerala to conduct an EIA study for constructing a new dam.
A day after the Chief Minister urged Mr Modi to withdraw the clearance to Kerala for the study, Mr Karunanidhi said writing letters to the Prime Minister on issues of such nature will not be sufficient. “Good results will come only if the Chief Minister himself meets Prime Minister Modi by leading a delegation of all political parties,” the DMK chief said.Echoing a similar view, Mr Ramakrishnan urged the Centre to cancel the permission to Kerala for the study and cautioned that the nod was against the SC verdict on the issue.
