The Mekedatu project, which has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for a few years now, is once again in the thick of politics, this time between political parties within Karnataka, with the Congress, set on doing a padayatra demanding its early execution. The Congress has accused the BJP governments at the state and Centre of delaying the project to build a balancing reservoir at the confluence of river Cauvery and its tributary Arkavathy to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of power. Karnataka is no doubt entitled to the water awarded to it by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal as modified by the Supreme Court and is empowered to “regulate within its boundaries the use of water or to enjoy the benefits of waters within the state, not inconsistent with the order”. But it would be wise to objectively analyse the cost-benefit ratio of the project in view of its potential environmental impact in a time of climate change. The Rs 9,000 crore project which aims to store 67 TMCft of water will submerge over 12,000 acres of forest land, including 4,500 acres of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a prominent elephant corridor and home to several endangered species. The impact on wildlife during the construction period itself can be easily imagined -- the pre-feasibility report mentions the use of 2,000 tonnes of explosives to clear the rocks at the dam site. Post-project, even if the government takes up compensatory afforestation, a promise that in most cases remains only on paper, a man-made monoculture ‘forest’ cannot replace a natural forest.
Another relevant question to address: Will bringing water from Mekedatu be enough for an ever-expanding Bengaluru, whose need for water, power and other resources is insatiable? While successive governments have for long-promised to set up investment hubs across the state to ease the pressure on Bengaluru, this has been a non-starter so far. Even if the Mekedatu project is implemented, the ever-growing city and its burgeoning population are certain to run out of water within years. Therefore, it is important to adopt a sustainable approach, including such measures as widespread rainwater harvesting, use of treated and recycled water, rejuvenation of Bengaluru’s lakes and its stormwater drain system.
While Karnataka cannot be denied the right to appropriate its due share of Cauvery water, the government should explore if Bengaluru’s water security can be achieved through more environmental-friendly means, rather than the conventional way of building dams and reservoirs. An objective environmental impact assessment would make matters clear.
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