Kerala's all-party team to meet PM over Mullaperiyar dam issue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Intensifying its campaign for a new reservoir at Mullaperiyar, an all-party delegation from Kerala will soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The state on Wednesday filed an interim plea in the Supreme Court seeking to lower the water level to 120 ft in the 116-year-old dam.

The date for the delegation to go to Delhi would be decided after an appointment with the PM is fixed, chief minister Oommen said after a Cabinet meeting.

The team, which would include chief minister and the Opposition leader, would press for a new dam in view of the serious safety concerns caused due to frequent tremors in Idukki where the present structure is located.

To reinforce its case that the dam is weak, the state would ask IIT Roorkie to expedite the report it had sought on the "dam-break analysis" based on which the government could draw up a detailed report on the magnitude of the disaster in case the dam collapses.