Thiruvananthapuram:
Expressing hope that the December 16 official level talks on the Mullaperiyar issue would be a meaningful exercise, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today assured his Tamil Nadu counterpart that his government was "totally committed" to ensure peace in the dam area and the safety of the existing structure.
"We should make use of the forum for a meaningful exchange of ideas and appreciation of each other's position to find a way forward," he said in a letter to Jayalalithaa.
"Police presence in the area has been strengthened and we are confident of protecting the dam and ensuring peace in the area," Chandy said.
He, however, said the scale of the catastrophe in the event of collapse of the "existing dam" was unimaginable and it would make both sides "eternally guilty."
Chandy said Tamil Nadu's assertion that the possibility of tremors of even medium magnitude did not exist in the dam site was contrary to facts.
Holding that construction of a new dam was the only solution that would guarantee water to Tamil Nadu and safety to Kerala, he said "rationally, frequent tremors have to be taken as nature's warning and Mullaperiyar dam, you will agree, will not withstand an earthquake of larger magnitude".
Chandy had earlier written to Jayalalithaa on December 1, appealing to her to take urgent steps to reduce the water level in the dam to 120 feet from the present 136.5 feet in view of the "threat" posed by the structure to millions of people living downstream.
Though there was total agreement among the entire political spectrum in Kerala on continuing to provide water to Tamil Nadu, "you have not appreciated our concern and fear about the existing dam", Chandy said.
Referring to a statement by Jayalalithaa yesterday over the issue, Chandy said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's stand that the dam was safe and that it was evident from a submission made by Kerala's Advocate General before the High Court "is completely erroneous".
"You have inferred from a submission made by our Advocate General before the Kerala High Court in the context of disaster mitigation, that everything is safe. It is a
completely erroreneous inference. We are consciously trying to keep the reservoir levels in these dams (Idukki and other two dams) as low as possible in order to reduce the intensity of disaster. This is being done at a heavy cost and it can only partially mitigate the disaster," Chandy said.
Noting that he did not want to get into argument, Chandy said "in your reply to my letter on December 1, 2011, you have only reiterated the stand of Tamil Nadu that the retrofitted dam is as good as new and tht there is no need for a new dam."
"...but ... the heightened seismic activity in the region coupled with increased reservoir level have made our people living downstream of the dam literally sleepless". Referring to Jayalalithaa's stand that the reaction among people of Kerala was based on "fear perception rather than facts", he said "fear is a fact that cannot be wished away, especially when it is compounded by recorded tremors and observed water levels."
The fear among the people was palpable and the state government was taking possible disaster management and mitigation measures, he said.
Chandy added there was a total consensus across the political spectrum in Kerala for supplying water to TamilNadu. "But even if we recognize your need for water, you have not appreciated our concern and anxiety on this issue...I request you to lend your support in our efforts to mitigate the disaster and find a lasting solution," he said.