CHENNAI: Taking strong exception to the violent activities reported at the Mullaiperiyar dam site on December 3 and 4, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday urged PM Manmohan Singh to deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the site immediately to avert any man-made catastrophic consequences.“The orchestrated campaign of fear-mongering carried on by the Kerala government has led to this situation wherein the very security and safety of the dam is being deliberately threatened,” Jayalalithaa said in her letter to the PM adding that the current situation of fear and panic-mongering by Kerala is beyond comprehension and required mature and informed decision-making and wise handling at the Prime Ministerial level.She said there have been reports of vandalism organised by certain Kerala political parties at the site and a mob of 200 damaged the gate of the TNEB facility at the dam on December 3 and 4. Some people went to the dam from Vallakadavu, with a JCB and equipment, with the intention of letting out water, she said.She reiterated that dams much older than Mullaiperiyar were functional. In Tamil Nadu, we have the Kallanai built by Karikaala Cholan, which was over 1,900-years-old and still functioning without any problem, she said. “The secret of the longevity of Kallanai is regular maintenance. People in the delta area of Tamil Nadu were not living in fear of the dam bursting or collapsing,” she added.Stating that the Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Department maintains the Godavari Anicut and Krishna barrage, which date between 1845 and 1855, the CM said Major Pennycuick used stone and surki to build Mullaiperiyar dam, the same materials used by Karikaala Cholan in Kallanai.
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