The Kerala Church says it will intensify protests to demand an early resolution of a controversy over a 116-year-old dam that it says threatens the lives of millons of people.

Chief minister Oomen Chandy said he is meeting the prime minister today in Delhi to discuss the issue.

But Major Archbishop and head of Syro-Malabar Church George Alancherry said yesterday: “We can’t sit idle. We (Catholics) must use collective responsibility to force the federal and state governments to resolve the issue.”

Some 3.5 million people are allegedly at risk after frequent tremors and heavy rainfall hit the region recently.

Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council  (KCBC) is organising ‘Mullaperiyar Day’ to express solidarity with people who are demanding construction of new dam to replace the one built over the river Periyar in 1895 with a predicted life span of 50 years to divert water eastwards towards Tamil Nadu, which operates the dam.

A legal battle between the two states is delaying the construction of a new dam.

Meanwhile two Bangladeshi prime ministerial advisors are in New Delhi for talks today to voice their country’s concerns to Indian ministers about a proposed river dam project in northeast India’s Manipur state which could cause major environmental degradation.

India wanted to construct the controversial dam at Tipaimukh, Manipur, in 2003 to generate electricity, but it was halted by national and international opposition.

In spite of Bangladesh’s concerns and earlier promises made by the Indian government, a joint investment agreement was signed between the state government and two state-run power companies in October to construct the dam to generate electricity.