Chennai: Political leaders on Wednesday urged the state government to take action to prevent the construction of check dams across Bhavani river by the Kerala government.
DMK working president M.K. Stalin urged Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to meet his Kerala counterpart and insist on stopping the construction of dams across Bhavani river. If six checkdams were constructed over Bhavani, three districts Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode would be affected without water for agriculture and drinking water. Already, farmers in the delta districts are committing suicides without Cauvery water. Panneerselvam should explain to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the consequences of his government building checkdams across the Bhavani river.
MDMK leader Vaiko had already announced a protest in Coimbatore against the construction of checkdams over Bhavani river. PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss urged the state government to prevent the attempts of Kerala to build checkdams across Bhavani through legal and political measures. He recalled that Kerala had already attempted to build dams across the Siruvani river and Pambaru river. The efforts were stopped due to the efforts of Tamil Nadu government. However, Kerala had began a new initiative in the Bhavani river and began works on construction of checkdams on Bhavani river.
Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Vasan said the people of Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur depend on Bhavani river for and the checkdams would affect the people severely. The state government should check if Kerala government had obtained permission from the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
