Urging for “sanity and sensitiveness”, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Tamil Nadu and Kerala to maintain restraint on their statements on the Mullaperiyar dam row, lamenting that they were adding fuel to the fire instead of dousing it.

A five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Justice D K Jain, asked Tamil Nadu to ensure that the water level in the dam does not exceed 136 feet but declined to entertain Kerala’s plea for reducing the level to 120 feet.

It also asked the Centre to clarify its position on Tamil Nadu’s plea for deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to protect the dam from possible vandalism.

“Both the parties instead of dousing the fire are adding fuel to it. There has to be sanity and sensitiveness,” the bench observed, while referring to the hostile atmosphere prevailing in the two states on the century-old dam issue.

Tamil Nadu government, on 1^st December, had moved the apex court accusing Kerala government of whipping up a “fear psychosis” on Mullaperiyar row and sought the court’s direction to restrain the state from making any controversial statement on the issue.

Tamil Nadu alleged Kerala, despite a status quo order by the apex court, was giving public statements on the issue of pulling down the dam and constructing a new one in its place.

Kerala government had responded on 8^th December by filing an application for a direction to Tamil Nadu government to reduce the water level in the dam from 136 feet to 120 feet so as to avoid any immediate calamity.

While Kerala wants to demolish the dam located in its Idukki district due to the perceived ecological threat and possible collapse of the dam, Tamil Nadu wants the structure to be protected as it caters to irrigation and drinking water needs of a dozen of its districts.

Life hit in TN district bordering Kerala as protests continue
Normal life was hit badly on Tuesday as tension continued to grip towns in the district bordering Kerala with unabated mass protest by villagers from Tamil Nadu over the Mullaperiyar dam row with the neighbouring state for the fourth day.
For the second straight day, Police made a lathicharge to stop hundreds of people from marching towards Kerala when they assembled at the border town of Gudalur.

The situation on the Kerala side, however, remained calm.
Tamil Nadu IGP (South Zone) Rajesh Dass said over 1,000 people blocked traffic at Cumbum Mettu and dispersed while at Gudalur police made lathicharge to disperse the protesters.
In Theni district, bus traffic came to a stand still, shops and business establishments and educational institutions in various places remained closed while the agitation protesting Kerala’s demand for a new dam across Mullaperiyar also hit farm work in cardamom estates on both sides of the border.
Road traffic between the two states remained affected at Bodi Mettu and Cumbum Mettu in Tamil Nadu and Kumily in Kerala, forcing devotees proceeding to the famous hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa to go by walk, officials said.
Police said bus services were stopped in the district after eight buses were damaged in stone pelting. A bakery was set on fire in Andipatti area. All educational institutes in the district have been closed.
Asked about rumours on attacks on Tamils working in Kerala estates, Dass said Tamil Nadu police were verifying every report with their counterpart in Kerala who had denied any such attacks.

A report from Thiruvananthapuram quoting Idduki district officials said vehicular traffic through the Kumily and Cumbum Mettu chek-posts was very less in view of tension in the area.
‘Situation on Kerala’s border is normal. However, the number of vehicles passing through the check-post have come down very considerably,’ officials said.
Amid the continuing stand-off, an all-party delegation from Kerala would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday to press the state’s demand for a new dam.
The 23-member delegation to be led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and comprising among others CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan would take up with the Prime Minister the state’s demand for construction of a new dam in place of the 116-year old existing reservoir which it says is unsafe, officials said.
Kerala Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan flayed the statement of an MP from Tamil Nadu that Idukki District, where the contentious dam is located, should be merged with Tamil Nadu. ‘The persons who raised such a demand do not know the basics of Kerala’s geography’, he added.

The controversial statement was made by Theni Congress Lok Sabha member J M Aroon who said Tamils formed the majority in Idukki, Pirmedu, Kumily and Vandiperiyar and hence the district should be merged with Tamil Nadu after a referendum.
In a related incident, a group of people, stated to be Tamil speaking, took out a march in Munnar demanding merger of Idukki District with Tamil Nadu.
The dam issue has heightened in recent weeks leading to rising political temperature in both the states which have sought the Centre’s intervention. Tamil Nadu is opposing Kerala’s strong pitch for a new dam.
The issue has also reached the Supreme Court which on Tuesday advocated both the states to observe ‘sanity and sensitiveness’, noting that they were adding fuel to the fire instead of dousing it.