Kerala's United Democratic Front (UDF) government is worried a row with Tamil Nadu over the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam could lead to its fall.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy plans to visit New Delhi on Thursday to speak to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the need to build a new dam in its place.
Political parties in Kerala, including members of the Congress-led UDF, have launched an agitation demanding the decommissioning of the dam.
Chandy is likely to tell the PM the contentious issue could destabilise his government, which has a strength of 71 in the 140-member assembly. The opposition Left Democratic Front has 68 members.
Chandy accused Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa of double standards. "The TN chief minister is opposing the Kudankulam nuclear project (in Tamil Nadu) citing safety aspects. We also express the same concern on the dam issue," he said.
The Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala's Idukki district is operated by Tamil Nadu under a 999-year lease agreement. Kerala is worried the "fragile" dam could collapse and has offered to fund and build a new dam.