New dam can't be built with just a few stones: Kerala CM on Mullapperiyar

 Explaining his controversial statement on the safety of Mullapperiyar Dam, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that building a dam is no joke. It needs the full backing of Tamil Nadu and Central government. 

Kerala should be able to convince Tamil Nadu and the Centre that the structure of the Mullaperiyar dam is weak. It could could be only possible through dialogue.

Addressing a function organised by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to felicitate its ministers at Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan clarified that his government has not backtracked from Kerala's demand for a new dam.  But issues cannot be resolved through confrontation with the neighbouring state. An international expert team must inspect the condition of the present dam, he said. 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's statement that Tamil Nadu's claims on reinforcing the dam structure need not be dismissed had created a furore in Kerala with the opposition calling it a 'betrayal' and VS Achuthanandan seeking more clarification on the statement.