CM Stalin silent on Kerala dam plans, says EPS

Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday slammed Chief Minister MK Stalin for his ‘silence’ over the Kerala government’s decision to build a dam over Silandhi river, one of the tributaries of river Amaravathy. Palaniswami urged Stalin to take legal action and uphold Tamil Nadu’s water-sharing rights.

Amaravathy is the longest tributary of the Cauvery river, whose sharing of water has triggered a decades-long dispute primarily between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

In a post on X, Palaniswami accused Stalin of maintaining a silence over the issue “for the benefit of the Opposition alliance”. The DMK and Congress are allies in the INDIA bloc.

“Chief Minister Stalin is keeping silent over Tamil Nadu’s water rights to the neighbouring states for the benefit of the Opposition alliance. The Andhra Pradesh government has built many barrages in Palaur during their administrative incompetence. The Karnataka government is trying to build a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu,” Palaniswami tweeted in Tamil.

“In this case, I strongly condemn the attempt of the Communist government of Kerala to block the water coming to Amaravathy dam by constructing a barrage across river Silandhi in ​​Idukki district, Kerala. I urge the Chief Minister to wake up from his slumber and take immediate legal action to uphold the rights of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

According to reports, the Kerala government is planning to construct a check dam across the Silandhi river. The move has triggered concerns among experts and Tamil Nadu leaders and have contended that it could lead to water scarcity in Tamil Nadu.