CHENNAI: Opposing the Andhra Pradesh government's move to increase the height of the check dam across Palar at Pullur, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and other political leaders on Friday sought steps to stop the project and protect the livelihood of Tamil Nadu farmers. No dams should be built across Palar without the permission of Tamil Nadu, but the Andra Pradesh government started the construction of a check dam at Kuppam earlier.
But, the project was stopped after the Tamil Nadu government filed a petition in the Supreme Court, he said and added that the Union Water Resources Ministry instructed the AP government not to construct dams across the Palar. After the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments constructed several check dams across the Palar, water flow in the river had become scarce. Again, the AP government had built a check dam across the same river at Pullur and it is not known if the Tamil Nadu government gave permission to it. The height of the check dam is being raised from five to 10 feet and the move would affect irrigation in an area of 2,000 acres in Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi said.
He also criticised the Tamil Nadu government's move to provide bicycles for policemen and wondered how it would help policemen to catch criminals at an age when technology had given wings to mankind. Opposing the AP government's move to raise the height of Pullur checkdam, MDMK general secretary Vaiko said no dam could be built across the Palar dam without the consent of the Tamil Nadu government as per an agreement between Mysore government and Madras Presidency in 1892.
The Palar river would become totally dry if the construction at Pullur is carried out and there would be scarcity of water for irrigation and drinking water. The Central and state governments should stop the construction, he said. CPI state secretary R. Mutharasan accused Tamil Nadu PWD minister 'Edappadi' Palanisamy of knowing about the project 10 days ago and not informing about it to the Chief Minister. He demanded that Palanisamy should resign or the Chief Minister should dismiss him.
