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Kerala on Tuesday said it is ready for joint control with Tamil Nadu and the Centre, if a new dam is built in place of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, over which the two states are locked in a dispute.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the cabinet put forward this proposal after taking stock of the deliberations at the two-day meeting of the Supreme Court-appointed Empowered Committee on the issue.
"The empowered committee asked us to give our suggestions by Friday. This is the proposal we are going to make to the panel", Chandy said.
He said the fact that the panel, headed by former Chief Justice of India A S Anand "seriously considered" Kerala's demand for a new dam vindicated the state's case to build a new dam.
"This is the first time the Committee discussed seriously the proposal for a new dam. So far its focus was on whether the existing dam is safe or not, based on arguments of the two states", he said.
Chandy said Kerala was even prepared to enact a law to to ensure continuous water supply to Tamil Nadu if a new dam is built and said that state need not harbour any fears in this regard "Tamil Nadu need not have any fears on continuing to get water even after a new dam is built. The Kerala government is even ready to enact legislation to ensure continuous water supply," he said.
On the committee's rejection of Kerala's plea to lower the dam water level to 120 feet from 136 feet, he said Kerala had suggested the step only as a temporary measure till a new dam was built.