Kerala CM V D Satheesan assured Tamil Nadu that the state would receive the entire quantity of water from a proposed replacement for the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar dam.
Satheesan urged the Centre to halt offshore mineral auctions until scientific assessments and safeguards are in place.
Kerala called for coordinated action against narcotics trafficking, organised crime and cyber threats.
Kerala has once again assured Tamil Nadu that it is willing to supply the entire quantity of water from a proposed new dam that would replace the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar structure in Idukki district. Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan conveyed the assurance at the 31st South Zonal Council meeting held at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, August 20.
Satheesan reiterated Kerala’s position that the state would bear the cost of constructing the new dam, while Tamil Nadu should take responsibility for its design, construction and location.
The Kerala chief minister also held a brief meeting with his Tamil Nadu counterpart Joseph Vijay on the sidelines of the meeting.
Kerala Reiterates Position On New Mullaperiyar Dam
The Mullaperiyar dam has been a longstanding source of tension between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with the two states differing over its safety, water levels and the proposal for a new structure.
At the South Zonal Council meeting, Satheesan sought to reiterate Kerala’s willingness to ensure that Tamil Nadu’s water requirements are not affected by the construction of a replacement dam.
Kerala has maintained that it is prepared to bear the cost of the new structure, while proposing that Tamil Nadu handle its design, construction and location.
Kerala Raises Concerns Over Offshore Mining
Satheesan also urged the Centre to annul the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, saying Kerala had serious concerns over its provisions.
He specifically called on the Union government not to auction mineral blocks off the Kerala coast until a detailed scientific assessment and a robust Standard Operating Procedure are in place.
Satheesan said Kerala was “cooperating fully” with the Geological Survey of India and the Ministry of Mines in the auction process involving bauxite, beach sand and critical mineral blocks.
At the same time, he said the state wanted its concerns over offshore sand mining to be taken into account.
Call For Joint Action Against Crime, Narcotics
On inter-state security, Satheesan called for a “unified enforcement front” to tackle narcotics trafficking, the movement of organised criminal gangs across state borders, illegal migration and emerging cyber threats.
He proposed that every state designate a senior official as an Inter-State Police Nodal Officer and that formal mechanisms for real-time intelligence sharing be established.
Satheesan also called for greater coordination in joint operations and intensified patrolling along state borders.
Kerala Seeks Toll Relief For KSRTC
Satheesan also urged the Centre to either completely exempt Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from National Highway tolls or provide them with a “substantially concessional” tariff.
He said KSRTC buses paid more than ₹2.16 crore in National Highway tolls in June alone.
The chief minister also sought central support for the proposed Thalassery-Mysore and Nilambur-Nanjangud railway lines.
He further requested that coastal protection works and the resettlement of families displaced by coastal erosion be allowed under the National and State Disaster Response and Mitigation Funds.
