With Kerala and Tamil Nadu now engaged in open fire over the Mullaperiyar dam, the Prime Minister has intervened. He has written to J Jayalalithaa to say that "nothing should be said or done to create undue alarm" over the dam. Dr Manmohan Singh wrote, "I am sure that, given goodwill on both sides, an amicable and mutually acceptable solution can be found through a process of dialogue and communication. I have accordingly advised the Ministry of Water Resources to arrange an early meeting between the officials of the two sides to sort out outstanding issues and allay genuine concerns."