Mulla’periyar’- is it an inter-state or intra-state river?

Intra-state river- A river that lies within one state from its source to its mouth.

Inter-state river- A river which flows in the territory of two or more states.

“To say that Periyar is an inter-State river because a tiny part of the catchment is in Tamil Nadu is no more a debating point. First, Periyar flows entirely in Kerala; no part of the river flows through Tamil Nadu. Even after the construction of the dam, it is not the river that flows through Tamil Nadu, but a part of its waters through tunnel and canals. Secondly, granting that a tiny part of its catchment lies in Tamil Nadu and that this makes the river an inter-state in law, how is that relevant to the present dispute? That tiny part may have riparian claims on Periyar waters but we are not talking about that part. We are talking about Vaigai basin which is not a part of the Periyar basin at all and receives Periyar waters through a long-distance inter-basin water transfer.”