madurai the ongoing mullaperiyar dam issue may have brought sour and tense moments between tamil nadu and kerala but it has not a deterred a farmer in madurai district to write in honour about the man behind the construction of the dam col john pennycuick on wednesday district collector u sagayam on wednesday released a booklet titled mullaiperiyar anaikku mun ninra periyonai potruvom a booklet on british engineer pennycuick who built the controversial dam the booklet was released during a mass conduct programme at thaniamangalam village in melur block v madhavan a farmer from thaniamangalam who compiled the book told toi that his booklet containing 10 pages narrates the struggle pennycuick underwent in completing the project the project was first contemplated by ramanathapuram sethupathis but they abandoned it since it was not feasible for them later other feasible studies were undertaken by the british madhavan said that his booklet begins from the survey works by pennycuick and other persons behind the initial works the labourers were from ramanathapuram maravar community and they struggled in the deep forests facing lot of hardship during the construction he has specially written about pennycuicks wife who was the woman behind the project though madhavan is not aware of her name when the construction began in 1887 great floods in the river washed away the works after which the british government wanted to abandon the project pennycuick was so depressed and cried when it was learnt but his wife stood by him and she was instrumental to raise the funds by selling her jewels and other assets together the couple raised rs 42 lakh in those days to complete the project madhavan narrated pennycuick was the greatest inspiration for all the farmers in the region and he places pennycuicks photo along with his parents photo at his house for veneration i also keep a small photograph of him in my shirt pocket and feel motivated madhavan said we will be always grateful to him and his wife because he has given us prosperity and life the 63yearold farmer says with his voice trembling in gratitude though there is lot of literature about mullaperiyar dam there were no particular books about pennycuick hence he felt like compiling something