Chennai, Nov 7 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has thanked his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan for allowing his state to fell 15 trees downstream of the baby dam at Mullaperiyar Dam to strengthen it.

Stalin, in a letter to Vijayan, said that the gesture of the Kerala government has been the fulfillment of a long-pending demand of Tamil Nadu to strengthen the baby dam at Mullaperiyar as well as the earthern dam.

He said he thanked the Kerala Chief Minister as well as the people of Kerala on behalf of himself as well as the people of five districts of south Tamil Nadu, as the gesture would go a long way in strengthening the cooperation between the two states as well as the relationship between the people of the two states.

Stalin also said that the Tamil Nadu government would undertake all steps needed to further strengthen the Mullaperiyar dam and to ensure the safety of the people of Kerala who are living downstream of the dam.

He also requested the Kerala Chief Minister to grant permission to repair the road between Vandi Periyar and Periyar Dam site and to transport necessary materials, as this was the only land route to the dam site and the road works are essential for transporting materials and machinery to carry out repair and strengthening of the dam.

Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Minister S. Duraimurugan had, after visiting the Mullaperiyar dam site on Friday, requested Kerala government to grant permission for felling of trees that are in its territory to felicitate the strengthening of the baby dam as well as the earthern dam.