Satheesan seeks new Mullaperiyar dam, offers Tamil Nadu full water share

Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan raised the Mullaperiyar dam issue at the Southern Zonal Council meeting, offering Tamil Nadu its full water share from a proposed new dam. He also sought cooperation on healthcare, infrastructure, security and environmental concerns

Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai: Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Thursday raised the Mullaperiyar dam issue at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Chennai and stressed the need for cooperative federalism in healthcare, infrastructure, environmental protection and regional security.

The Mullaperiyar dam issue was among the key state concerns raised by the CM at the meeting, according to a post on X.

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Satheesan said Keralam was willing to provide Tamil Nadu with its full share of water from a new Mullaperiyar dam.

He said Tamil Nadu would manage the design, location and construction of the new dam, while Keralam would bear the entire cost.

While Tamil Nadu has maintained that the dam is safe, the Keralam government has maintained that it is unsafe and that a higher water level could endanger lives downstream in the event of a breach. It has sought the decommissioning of the existing structure.

Other issues raised by Satheesan were his government’s Mission Samudra project, withdrawal of recent amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and implementation of one-third reservation for women in Parliament without increasing the strength of the House.

Regarding the Mission Samudra project, Satheesan sought the cooperation of other southern states “to transform Keralam into a premier port city and maritime economic hub centred around Vizhinjam”.

On the amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act, the CM demanded that the changes be withdrawn to protect the states’ control over coastal sand and mineral resources.

“Addressed the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram chaired by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah. Pressed for cooperative federalism across healthcare funding, infrastructure, environmental protection, and regional security,” he said in a post on X.

On healthcare funding, Satheesan said the state was bearing nearly 90 per cent of the financial burden of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana through its Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi.

In his speech, a copy of which was released in Thiruvananthapuram, he said that, given the wide variation in utilisation of the scheme across states, state-specific premiums should be fixed instead of a uniform national premium.

He called for eligibility to be aligned with the National Food Security Act database and the central share to be revised to reflect the actual expenditure incurred on centrally sponsored families.

He referred to the Vay Vandana Scheme, a government-subsidised pension initiative for senior citizens, and said it widened the financial burden on states without adequate central funding support.

Satheesan said Keralam’s vulnerability to climate change was a grave concern and sought central approval to fund coastal erosion protection and resettlement under the National and State Disaster Response Funds, claiming that 63 per cent of the state’s 586-km coastline was actively eroding.

He urged the Centre to expedite the finalisation of a national policy in this regard.

The CM raised concerns over offshore mining activities and urged the central government to halt the auction of offshore sand blocks off the Keralam coast pending a rigorous scientific assessment of their environmental impact.

“In view of the potential environmental and social consequences for our fragile coastal ecosystem and for our fishing communities, I reiterate our request that offshore mineral blocks off our coast not be auctioned until a rigorous scientific assessment and a robust Standard Operating Procedure are in place, and that the concerns repeatedly raised by the state be given their due weight,” he said.

On inter-state security, he proposed appointing Inter-State Police Nodal Officers at the headquarters level, institutionalising real-time intelligence sharing and launching joint border operations to tackle narcotics trafficking, cyber threats and cross-border crime.

He highlighted the need to exempt state road transport undertakings from tolls or provide them concessions on toll tariffs.

He sought the cooperation of the Karnataka government and the Railway Ministry to finalise the alignment and detailed project reports for the Thalassery-Mysore and Nilambur-Nanjangud rail lines.

Besides these, he proposed scientifically determined time windows and regulated convoy movements through forest borders instead of blanket night traffic bans that disrupt trade and travel.

He sought an extension of central funding for the fast-track special court scheme, claiming that it had achieved more than 78 per cent compliance in investigation timelines.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened the meeting of chief ministers of southern states to deliberate on important inter-state and national issues.

The Southern Zonal Council comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, as well as the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

The council serves as a forum for resolving issues and disputes between the Centre and its member states and Union Territories, according to the Union government.

River water-sharing issues involving Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu and Keralam are among the ongoing disputes