The Central committee members of the Mullaperiyar Samara Samithy will undertake the relay fast being held at Karintharuvi Chappath for the past four years demanding the decommissioning of the century-old Mullaperiyar dam.
A release issued by the Central committee, which was held after the general body meeting at Upputhara on Sunday evening said the Samithy will siege the Central government offices from May, if the government failed to name the two representatives to the expert committee before April 30. “As per the order of the full bench of the Supreme Court, the States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have proposed the names of their representatives in the expert committee. However, the Central government has not come out with the names of the two representatives to the committee so far,” it said and added that it should propose the name of the members without delay.
Noting that the agitation entered the1,220th day on Monday, the Samithy said it was the most peaceful agitation held in the State.
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The press note said the view of Mr. M. Sasidharan, retired chief engineer and expert on dam safety, was that the dam’s resistance level cannot be gauged as it was made by surki lime and later strengthened by concrete, was a pointer that there was no room left for strengthening the dam again. All the members in the general body meeting also favoured for continuance of the relay fast till the stone-laying function of a new dam in place of the century-old one is taken up. The note signed by the central committee members also raised concern over the politicisation of the Mullaperiyar dam issue in Tamil Nadu. The Samara Samithy is concerned over the security of people living on the downstream of the dam, and their concern should be addressed without making delay, it said.