Kerala govt not ready to back down from proposal of new dam at Mullaperiyar: Minister K Rajan

PATHANAMTHITTA: Revenue Minister K Rajan said that the state government is firm in its stand that a new dam should be constructed at Mullaperiyar. The minister, who said that the state was willing to provide the water demanded by Tamil Nadu, added that the government was not ready to back down from the proposal of a new dam at Mullaperiyar for the safety of Kerala. He also said that people living along the banks of the Periyar river should remain cautious for the next few days as Tamil Nadu has decided to draw more water from Mullaperiyar.

"Kerala has been demanding a new dam at Mullaperiyar only to ensure the safety of the people. The catchment area of both ​​Idukki and Mullaperiyar is the same. If Idukki has the capacity to store 72 TMC of water, Mullaperiyar, which was built many years ago, can store only 19 TMC of water," the minister said.