Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to settle the dispute between his state and Tamil Nadu over the Mullaperiyar dam issue.After meeting the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and Water Resources Minister Mr.Pawan Kumar Bansal in Parliament House in New Delhi today,Mr. Chandy said, his government wants the permission of the Centre to build a new dam to replace the 116-year-old structure.

He said Kerala's approach was to provide Tamil Nadu with adequate quantity of water and safety of its people against the backdrop of fears about the strength of the dam following a series of earthquakes in and around the area.He informed that he has also requested Mr.Bansal to ensure that the central government examines the safety aspect of all the dams in the country which are over 100-years old.

Our correspondent reports,as as per National Register of Large Dams in 2009,there are 126 dams in India which are over a century old. Mr.Chandy's meeting with Dr.Singh came a day after the Prime Minister told Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa that nothing should be said or done to create undue alarm as the matter is sub-judice. Tamil Nadu has accused Kerala of whipping up a fear psychosis on the issue.