November 29, 2011: 3.5 million people of Southern India’s Kerala state are facing
impending danger to their lives and property due to high-risk structure of a 116 year
old dam in the river called Periyar. To highlight the plight of the people and to
express solidarity with them the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) Executive
Committee has decided to observe December 4th Sunday as “Mulla Periyar Day”.
KCBC
has requested the parishes and church institutions to offer special prayers during
the Eucharistic Celebrations for peaceful and immediate solution to the issue. Religious
congregations, parishes, Sunday schools, lay organisations, social service departments
and other educational institutions have been urged to observe Mulla Periyar Day with
candle processions or other symbolic gestures to express concern and solidarity.
KCBC
President Archbishop Andrews Thazhath has already sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister
Dr Man Mohan Singh, UPA Chairperson and Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and to
some important central ministers expressing serious anxiety and concern about the
issue.
The KCBC has demanded urgent and Immediate intervention of the Prime
Minster and Central Government to ensure security to the life and property of the
3.5 million people, who lives in the banks of the river Periyar. It also requested
to take urgent measures to bring down the water storage level in the Mulla Periyar
reservoir to 120 feet.
The KCBC has also requested the Central Government to
persuade Tamil Nadu to accept the proposal of Kerala State Government to construct
a new dam downstream of the present dam without in any way affecting the quantum of
water supplied to Tamil Nadu. The has asked the central government to mediate the
dispute to find out a proper and peaceful lasting solution to the Mulla Periyar dam
problem without breaking the relationship and brotherhood of the people of both States.