Chennai, Dec 7 (PTI) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday urged Chief Minister M K Stalin to immediately take up the annual maintenance work at the Mullaiperiyar dam and condemned the DMK regime and Kerala government over the issue.
When the Tamil Nadu water resources department officials were transporting construction materials in two lorries for maintenance work at the dam, they were reportedly stopped by Kerala forest check post personnel, Palaniswami said.
Although Tamil Nadu officials conveyed to the Kerala forest personnel that permission had already been taken from authorities of their state, they did not allow the trucks inside the dam area till December 6, stating that they had not received any information.
When people of the five districts of Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram, who were dependent on Mullaiperiyar dam came to know about this issue, they were incensed, the AIADMK leader, who is the leader of opposition, said in a statement.
General public and farmers, hence, attempted to stage a protest on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala interstate border at lower camp in Theni district and they were prevented by Tamil Nadu police.
Condemning the DMK regime as a "spectator," Palaniswami urged Stalin to immediately commence annual maintenance work at the Mullaiperiyar dam. He hit out at the Kerala government for not allowing Tamil Nadu to carry out the maintenance work.
The AIADMK top leader said that such maintenance work had been completed without any trouble till 2020-21, when his party was in power. Located in Idukki district of Kerala, the Mullaiperiyar dam is owned and maintained by the Tamil Nadu government. People of the five districts depend on the dam for agriculture and drinking water requirements.
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