Chandy off to Delhi today

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Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy will leave for Delhi on Thursday to discuss the Mullaperiyar dam issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Briefing mediapersons after a Cabinet meeting, Mr Chandy said that the state was firm on its demand for construction of a new dam at Mullaperiyar and for bringing down the water level to 120 feet.
“The Centre is convinced of our stand: safety for Kerala and water for Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Mr Chandy said that he would write a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, to apprise her of the Kerala’s position and the need for a new dam for ensuring the safety of people of the state.
“I don’t see any reason why she should oppose it,” he said. “She had recently opposed the `20,000-crore Koodamkulam nuclear plant raising the question of safety of the people of the area. Don’t people in Kerala require similar assurance on safety?”
Meanwhile, the Opposition leader, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, will observe a fast in Chappath, near Mullaperiyar, on December 7 to demand immediate steps for the construction of the dam. He will also join the human wall to be raised by the LDF from Mullaperiyar to Kochi on December 8.
The water resources minister, Mr P.J. Joseph, said that it would take just one year to build a new dam at Mullaperiyar.