CHENNAI: DMK today announced that it would stage a "massive" protest on September 3 in Coimbatore to urge the state and central governments to take appropriate steps to prevent the proposed construction of a dam across Siruvani river by Kerala.
"If the central government gives its nod to build a dam across Siruvani, Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur districts of Tamil Nadu will become a desert," DMK chief Karunanidhi said.
In a statement, he said a massive demonstration would be held at Coimbatore in VO Chidambaram Park to urge state and central governments to take urgent and appropriate steps to prevent construction of a dam by Kerala.
Exhorting party cadres and people to take part in the protest, the DMK chief said the meeting would be held by Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode district units of his party.
Hitting out at Chief Minister Jayalalithaa over the issue, he asked why she did not take up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government before a central committee recommended an environmental impact assessment study on the proposal for a dam.
DMK's announcement comes a day after Jayalalithaa sought Modi's urgent intervention for withdrawing the central committee's recommendation for environmental impact assessment study.