The Supreme Court’s judgment (“ >SC quashes Kerala dam law ,” May 8), which allows Tamil Nadu to raise the water level in the Mullaperiyar, is a victory for technology “that confirms that the dam is safe at 142 feet.” At the same time, residents of Idukki district should not voice their protest. Political parties in Kerala should gracefully accept this judgment, and the legal tussle between the two neighbouring States should end here.
K.R. Viswanathan Pillai,
Chennai
Being an engineer myself, I was convinced, after going through technical data, that political parties in Kerala have been only trying to derive political mileage out of the issue. Kerala has a number of rivers and receives bountiful rainfall, but nearly 90 per cent of the water received is not put to use. On the other hand, in Tamil Nadu, every drop from the Mullaperiyar seems to be used judiciously.
K.M. Divakaran,
Kannur
We cannot allow States to fight litigation in courts and waste precious time. The issue has created an unpleasant situation between the two States. Both sides must realise that they are at the mercy of nature after all.
T. Anand Raj,
Chennai
The verdict is a humanitarian one which will change the lives of crores of farmers. Travelling through Theni and Cumbum will make this amply clear. Kerala, on the other hand, needs to share its resources and work to strengthen its ties with Tamil Nadu.
Jaya Kumar Varma,
Pandalam, Kerala
The issue needs to be looked at as a national problem rather than as a protracted dispute between two States. While water and the dam’s safety are important, what is equally crucial is maintaining brotherhood between the people.
Rinsad A.A. ,
Ernakulam