Mullaperiyar- Why hype?

Kerala endures all injustice, because the people of Kerala always give much more than what they take. The state is not a land of plenty, but when it comes to hospitality, it ranks Number one. Mullaperiyar issue has been made psychological and sensational by our neighbouring state of Tamilnadu. For no reason. The Dam is a masonary gravity dam over Periyar River and its tributary Mullayar. The River does not take a detour of Tamilnadu, hence it does not have riparian rights. The northererly arm of this man-made water body, water is diverted through a deep cutting about a mile, and then through a tunnel 5704 ft in length and later through another cutting on the other side of the Water bed and into a natural ravine and so onto the Vaigai River. Tamilnadu uses this water for irrigation of Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram districts and also for Power generation. When the British ruled the Madras Presidency, they exerted undue pressure for 24 years before the Maharaja of Travancore signed a Lease Indenture on 29 Oct 1886 for 999 years with the Madras Presidency the right over the waters of Mullaperiyar and its catchment basin for a paltry sum. The generous Government of Kerala signed another agreement in 1970. Kerala had the highest density of population and the areas downstream of Mullaperiyar became heavily populated because of the acute scarcity of land. Tamilnadu increased its withdrawal, increased its demand, and brought in new areas under irrigation. There have been cracks, seepages, and repeated earthquakes in the area, making people vulnerable to the fear of a catastrophe. The dam was constructed more than a century ago, and the dam that controls water is no position to hold on the water. Any catastrophe would create heavy dent on the lives of the people. There are few precautions in place to run to cover because of the dense and malarial jungle. Even though Dr Abdul Kalam, India’s former President and a honest and sincere Scientist saying that there are multiple dangers if the nuclear plant is established and all political parties in chorous demand its scrapping. What is the anticipated danger in the nuclear plant? In Japan, it was tornado that caused destruction and not the plant inter se. Why is alarm bells rung when there is no alarm. Jayalalita, Chief Minister and Vaiko, and the one man party Subramanya Swami, have been claiming that there is no seepage in the dam, and Kerala is getting hysterical only to create empathy. Will they articulate this in the form of affidavit and agree to take responsibility if any untoward happened? Kerala has no Jayalalita, nor Vaiko, nor the flamboyant Subramanya Swami. But they want good neighborly relations with Tamilnadu. They will always provide Tamilnadu, water that has been agreed. Kerala always honours agreements. The construction of the new dam suggested is in the present circumstances, precautions cannot be in-built. But if we are structuring a new dam, disaster management would be inbuilt. Kerala has no other motive other than this. This issue is not to be debated on a Political plank but in a responsible forum.