Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy talks on the Mullaperiyar dam issue.
After the all-party meet convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy over the Mullaperiyar Dam issue, the Chief Minister said that, "there is a consensus across political parties that Kerala government should file the review petition."
Mr Chandy maintained that the Supreme Court's decision to increase the water storage level was "unacceptable to Kerala and that the safety of the people in 5 districts is of paramount importance."
The decision to strengthen the state disaster management team and its discourses with people to ensure adequate preparedness was also a decision taken during the meeting. "We have always believed in safety for Kerala and water for Tamil Nadu. We will never allow water to become a bone of contention between Kerala and Tamil Nadu," said Mr Chandy.
A five-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice R M Lodha held that the 2006 law framed by Kerala was unconstitutional since it interfered with the judicial functions and violated the doctrine of separation of power.
The Supreme Court had in 2006 allowed raising the water level of the dam, prompting Kerala to come up with a new law which prohibited any increase in storage levels. The Supreme Court has ordered that the water level must be increased from 136 feet to 142 feet to redress grievances of Tamlaght Nadu.