G. Prabhakaran PALAKKAD: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has accused the Tamil Nadu government of trying to avoid the renewal of the inter-State Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement even after its expiry in 1988. The Chief Minister has said he will take up the matter with the Tamil Nadu government. Talking to The Hindu here on Sunday, the Chief Minister said the issue could not be prolonged any longer as it affected the drinking and irrigation water requirements of lakhs of people in Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur districts. Diversion of water to Tamil Nadu under the PAP agreement had resulted in a drought-like situation in Palakkad and the drying up of the Bharathapuzha. [The agreement provides for sharing the Bharathapuzha, Periyar and Chalakudy waters.] He said the agreement had been signed on the assumption that it would help the State get the benefits of the water resources of the three rivers, but the experience of the last 50 years showed otherwise. So the agreement had to be reviewed and renewed to protect the interests of Kerala, he said. Mr. Achuthanandan said that when the State had enough water, it was liberal in sharing it with Tamil Nadu. But now the situation had changed and Kerala was facing acute water shortage. This reality had to be accepted, he said.