Political hand in Mullaiperiyar agitations

CHENNAI: Eminent Malayalam writer Paul Zacharia on Wednesday blamed a section of politicians, whose constituencies are close to the Mullaiperiyar dam, for the ongoing controversy over its safety. Speaking on the sidelines of the release of ‘Aruhan’, a book on Tamil poetry by Thamizhachi Thangapandian here on Wednesday, he also criticised the media, saying it was playing up the issue with a vested interest. Pointing out that there was no history of gravity dams being broken, he said, an international committee comprising experts must be constituted for allaying fears about its safety. In any case, the Supreme Court has already constituted an empowered committee to look into the issue. People must be patient till its report is out, he said. Zacharia also stressed that water should not be denied to TN, as large swathes of lands are being irrigated using Mullaiperiyar water. “Whether the dam is old or new, water should not be denied to Tamil Nadu.”