Stalin, Vijayan To Meet on Mullaperiyar Dam Issue

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will meet Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday to discuss the ongoing dispute over the Mullaperiyar dam.

The meeting will take place in Vaikom, Kottayam district, where CM Stalin is set to inaugurate the renovated memorial of social reformer EV Ramasamy Periyar. Kerala CM Vijayan will preside over the event.

Tamil Nadu’s Water Resources Minister, S Duraimurugan, announced the talks in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. The issue gained attention after Kerala authorities recently intercepted vehicles carrying materials for dam maintenance. This led to delays in critical repairs, sparking unrest in Tamil Nadu.

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Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS), raised the matter in the Assembly. He pointed out that the delays have caused frustration among residents of five Tamil Nadu districts, who recently staged protests demanding uninterrupted maintenance.

In response, Duraimurugan reminded the Assembly of the Supreme Court’s directive. The Court had ruled that Kerala must not obstruct Tamil Nadu’s maintenance work on the dam.

The issue escalated on December 4 when two trucks transporting M-sand for repairs were stopped at a forest check post in Vallakadavu, near the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The trucks, which had clearance from Kerala’s Minor Irrigation Department, were stranded for hours.

Tamil Nadu officials expressed frustration, noting that detailed estimates for 16 planned maintenance works had been submitted to Kerala authorities well in advance. Despite this, the work faced continued obstruction.

This incident led over 100 farmers to stage a road blockade at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The protest, aimed at stopping Kerala vehicles from entering Tamil Nadu, ended after police intervention. Farmers condemned Kerala’s actions and called for an immediate resolution.

The event in Vaikom will be attended by several dignitaries, including Kerala Ministers VN Vasavan and Saji Cheriyan, Tamil Nadu Ministers Durai Murugan, EV Velu, and MP Saminathan. Key officials like Kerala Chief Secretary Sharada Muraleedharan and Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N Muruganandam are also expected to be present.