More parties and organisations extend support With more than 31 organisations coming together, the stage seems to be set for a human chain agitation at Gandhipuram in Coimbatore on Monday to protest Kerala’s decision to construct a dam of 450m length at Chittur – Venkadal in Attappady across River Siruvani, a source of water for the Bhavani. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko, on Sunday, had already launched a campaign sensitising the people on the effects that Kerala’s proposed dam and power house project at Pambaru would cause to the Amaravathy basin. As far as the dam at Attappady in Kerala was concerned, the policy note of the Kerala Irrigation Department states that the Attappady Valley Irrigation Project envisages the construction of a masonry gravity dam of length 450m at Chittur in Palakkad district across the Siruvani. It is intended to irrigate an area of 4347 ha of land consisting of paddy and sugarcane. This is a multipurpose project intended for irrigation, water supply and power generation. K. Ramakrishnan, general secretary of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK), who convened an all-party meeting, pointed out that the dam at Attappady would reduce the inflow of water into the Bhavani and thereby turn agricultural fields in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode districts into stretches of parched lands. The dam would also bring down the water level at Siruvani and Pilloor reservoirs in the long run, thus leaving several lakhs of people in Coimbatore District and Tirupur without drinking water. Mr. Ramakrishnan said that first protest would be a human chain, wherein more than 5,000 people were expected to participate, to convey to Kerala the sentiments and anguish of the people of Tamil Nadu. The activists were planning a relay picketing agitation along the Tamil Nadu – Kerala border. If Kerala failed to rescind its decision, the meeting of the elected representatives from the three districts of Tirupur, Coimbatore and Erode will decide on the future course of action. For the human chain, almost all major political parties in the State have expressed their support and efforts were on to rope in the Congress and BJP as well. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has already written a letter to the Prime Minister asking the Centre not to accord clearance for the dam project. Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam will launch protest to protect the interest of the State and its people if the Kerala Government and also the Central Government continue their “anti-Tamil Nadu” approach. In a release, the party's headquarters secretary S. Suryamoorthy has said that after raking up the Mullaiperiyar, Amaravathy and Pambar issues, the Kerala Government has started saying that it would build a dam across River Siruvani. The government's action was only the latest in the series of anti-Tamil Nadu actions.