Mekedatu: TN’s plea frivolous, K’taka tells SC

The Karnataka government has contended before the Supreme Court that the Tamil Nadu government had filed a plea with a mala fide intention to prevent it from preparing a detailed project report for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir across Cauvery river.

It described the grievances made by Tamil Nadu on the project as “false, frivolous and vexatious” and an attempt to seek a ‘re-hearing’ of the case.

“The application was not at all maintainable. Tamil Nadu has filed the application merely on apprehension without producing any material to demonstrate that if the Mekedatu project is constructed, its monthly scheduled release would be jeopardised,” the Karnataka government said.

The application was filed with an intention to prevent Karnataka from filing a detailed project report before the Central Water Commission and seeking its approval.

The Tamil Nadu government was aggrieved with the order, dated November 22, 2018, by the Director, Project Appraisal (South), Central Water Commission on the Mekedatu project.

Besides, it filed a plea seeking a direction to the Union government to appoint an independent person as chairman of the Cauvery Authority.

Tamil Nadu was actually seeking a review of the entire case itself, the Karnataka government said.

“If this application was to be permitted, it would open a Pandora’s box for not only the litigious state of Tamil Nadu but also for other parties, who have been unable to obtain desired relief from this court,” the state government said in its counter-affidavit.

Tamil Nadu claimed the Mekedatu project, in its present form, violates the decisions of the tribunal and apex court for equitable apportionment of Cauvery water. The top court had on December 12 refused to allow a plea by the Tamil Nadu government to stay against the permission granted to Karnataka.

It, however, asked the Union government and Karnataka to file a response on a plea for restraining the upper riparian state from undertaking the exercise.