Mullaperiyar: Kerala ready for tripartite agreement

Voicing Kerala's readiness to walk the extra mile to resolve the Mullaperiyar Dam row, CM Oommen Chandy said he was even willing to enter into a tripartite agreement and enact a law assuring Tamil Nadu that it will get "same quantity" of water from the new dam.

Voicing Kerala's readiness to walk the extra mile to resolve the Mullaperiyar Dam row, chief minister Oommen Chandy said he was even willing to enter into a tripartite agreement and enact a law assuring Tamil Nadu that it will get "same quantity" of water from the new dam.

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However, he made it clear that the state cannot wait "too long".

"We are ready to give any type of assurance that we will give the same quantity of water. We have offered mutual agreement. If they want we are ready to give a tripartite agreement in the presence of the Government of India. We are ready to give the assurance in Supreme Court," he said.

The Kerala government was even prepared to have an "enactment" in the Assembly assuring "full quantity" of water to Tamil Nadu, Chandy told PTI.

The Kerala Chief Minister, who led an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue, said: "We are not in a position to wait for a long time. Lakhs and lakhs of people are spending sleepless nights. Children are not going to schools. Some are even planning to shift from the area."

"Every second is important for us. Lives of lakhs of people are involved. For Tamil Nadu, every day is important that they need the water for daily needs. We know the importance of Tamil Nadu's need for water," he said.

Asked why Tamil Nadu takes such a stand when Kerala appears to be offering same quantity of water, he said, "There may be some internal political compulsions, especially in the Opposition."

When pointed out that DMK is the opposition party he was referring to, Chandy did not offer a direct answer saying opposition DMK, ruling AIADMK and others were on the same page on the issue.