Responding to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's allegation on Sunday that the Kerala Government was preventing her officials from plugging the boreholes drilled for tests on the Mullaperiyar dam, the Kerala Government on Monday went on record to say that it wrote to Tamil Nadu on Saturday stating categorically that it had no objection to Tamil Nadu officials plugging the holes.
Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph told The Hindu here on Monday that Tamil Nadu was informed in advance that its officials could close the holes if further tests were not required after what had been conducted by the Central Soil and Materials Research Station (CSMRS) and the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS). “Our stance has already been made clear and conveyed to Tamil Nadu. They can close the holes if they feel there are no more tests required,” Mr. Joseph said.
According to Kerala's Mullaperiyar Cell chairman M.K. Parameswaran Nair, he had written to Tamil Nadu stating that Kerala had no objection to plugging the holes and that Tamil Nadu could confirm with the CSMRS and the CWPRS that no more tests were necessary.
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In fact, the chairman of the Tamil Nadu's Cauvery Technical Cell, R. Subramanian, who along with other experts had earlier visited the dam, had acknowledged receipt of the letter, Mr. Nair said.
The Water Resources Department, after the letter to Tamil Nadu, had on Monday despatched its engineers to the site to watch the proceedings.