Don't create undue alarm on Mullaperiyar: PM

On a day when the Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court accusing the Kerala government of whipping up "fear psychosis" over the Mullaperiyar dam row, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to the Tamil Nadu chief minister saying nothing should be said or done to create "undue alarm".

On a day when the Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court accusing the Kerala government of whipping up "fear psychosis" over the Mullaperiyar dam row, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to the Tamil Nadu chief minister saying nothing should be said or done to create "undue alarm".

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In an urgent application to SC on Thursday, Tamil Nadu alleged that Kerala was making public statements on issues of pulling down the century-old dam despite a status quo order by the apex court.

While Kerala wants to demolish the dam located in its Idukki district due to the perceived ecological threat and possible collapse of the dam, Tamil Nadu wants the dam to be protected as it caters to the irrigation and drinking water needs of a dozen of its districts.

In a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa, chief minister of Kerala Oomen Chandy demanded that the water level in the reservoir be reduced as an immediate step to allay fears of the locals.

Chandy, who is on his way to Delhi, is slated to meet the PM and other central leaders on Friday to drum up support for the construction of a new dam in place of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, citing safety concerns.

Replying to letters written by Jayalalithaa, Singh said he had asked the water resources ministry to arrange a meeting between officials of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to "sort out outstanding issues".