Kochi: Kerala has asked Tamil Nadu to stop the latter’s plans to lay tiles along the gallery of the Mullaperiyar dam, and to carry out only routine annual maintenance work. M K Parameswaran Nair, head of the Kerala’s Mullaperiyar cell who visited the dam site on Thursday said Tamil Nadu officials were trying to laying tiles on the gallery without the permission of the state. “There is absolutely no need for laying tiles there. Nowhere in the world such tiles are laid on the downstream gallery of dams. We have no objection in Tamil Nadu carrying out annual maintenance works. But any work other than that will be treated as original work, and we will not grant permission for that,” Nair told TOI over phone from the dam site. He recalled that some holes were drilled on the dam to carry out tests to inspect its strength during the experts’ team visits last year. Those holes can be plugged using cement and metal. The uneven surfaces on the dam gallery can also be leveled using cement. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are engaged in long-drawn out battle over the safety of the over 115-year old dam with the former alleging that that the dam is unsafe and the latter arguing that it is intact. The case is still pending before the Supreme Court. The arguments in the case are over and the court has reserved the case for orders. Kerala has challenged the Supreme Court-appointed empowered committee finding that the dam is safe. Tamil Nadu has appealed to the Supreme Court to permit it to raise the water level in the dam as it was facing no threat of breach. Kerala’s perception is that Tamil Nadu is now carrying out the works to create an impression that the dam is now in good condition and was not facing any threat of leakage or breach.