THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government on Thursday said it could not reach a consensus with neighbouring Tamil Nadu so far on the construction of a new dam in Mullaperiyar though it was one of its long-term demands and the matter would be raised again during the upcoming Chief Ministers' meeting.
Minister for Water Resources, Roshy Augustine told the Assembly that water for Tamil Nadu and safety for Kerala was the proclaimed stand of the state government in the Mullaperiyar issue.
"Though we put forward the topic of the construction of the new dam in the secretary level meetings and the Chief Minister's meeting earlier, it failed to reach a consensus.
The Kerala government has taken initiative to conduct a detailed discussion in this regard in the upcoming meeting of the Chief Ministers of the two states and arrive at an agreement which is acceptable to both parties," he said.
A detailed project outline was being prepared for constructing a new dam in Mullaperiyar ensuring that there would be no decrease in the existing amount of water drawn by Tamil Nadu and guaranteeing safety of the people of Kerala, he said during the question hour session.
Based on the conditional nod given by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest for the environmental impact study in 2018, Terms of References had been fixed and a Hyderabad-based company prepared a draft report after collecting details.
After making necessary modifications and corrections, the company has been directed to submit the final report to obtain environmental clearance, he added.
Built in 1895, the Mullaperiyar dam is a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu, which owns and operates it, and Kerala where it is located.