The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday constituted a four-member committee to visit Mekedatu where Karnataka has proposed to build a reservoir across the Cauvery, to check whether any construction activity was on there, without obtaining necessary permission from departments of the union government.
In their order, Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member Dr K Satyagopal, a retired IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, said the committee will inspect the area in question and submit a factual as well as action taken report, if there is any violation found. The report should be submitted on or before July 5.
The bench was hearing a suo motu case based on a newspaper report dated April 15, 2021, which said 'Construction activity near Mekedatu dam evokes unease in TN'.
It appointed a joint committee comprising of a senior member from the Integrated Regional Office, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Bengaluru, a senior officer from the Cauvery Water Management Authority, a senior officer from the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited and a senior officer from the Forest department not below the rank of additional conservator of forests, Karnataka.
“The committee is also directed to go into the question as to whether any construction activity as alleged in the newspaper report has been started without obtaining necessary clearance from the Forest Department as well as from the MoEF&CC under the Forest Conservation Act as well as the EIA Notification, 2006,” the order said.
If there is any construction made and if any damage has been caused to the environment, they are directed to assess the damage caused to the environment and environmental compensation payable by the respective authorities who are responsible for the same, the order said.
The proposed construction of a reservoir in Mekedatu is yet another source of friction between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. While Tamil Nadu says no reservoir can be built without its concurrence and that it is against the orders of the Supreme Court, Karnataka says the project is aimed at fulfilling drinking water needs of Bengaluru.