Chennai, Dec 11 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Saturday beefed up security at areas near Kerala border to prevent any violent incidents over Mullaperiyar Dam issue, a senior police official said.

Speaking to reporters here, Director General of Police (DGP) K.Ramanujam said around 500 policemen have been deployed in the border areas and the situation is monitored by an inspector general of police and other officials.

Ramanujam said devotees going to Sabarimala temple in Kerala are being diverted through safer routes.

He said special control room has been set up at Gudalur near Kerala border where complaints can be lodged.

According to him, normal traffic is expected to start in the Gudalur and Kumuli segment soon.

Tension prevailed in the areas bordering Kerala after devotees from Tamil Nadu were attacked by anti-social elements inside the neighbouring state after the Mullaperiyar Dam issue got highly politicized recently.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the dam, built under an 1886 accord between the then Maharaja of Travancore and the erstwhile British Raj.

While it is located in Kerala, the control of the Dam is with Tamil Nadu and its waters serves the latter.

Tamil Nadu wants the dam's storage capacity to be increased by raising the dam height from 136 feet (41.5 metres) to 142 feet (43 metres) as per Supreme Court's order.

Kerala wants a new dam as it would be under its control and has been raising the issue of earthquake threat though experts have ruled out any danger to the dam.