Will continue to oppose Mekedatu project: TN

The water resources minister spoke in detail about the steps being taken by the Tamil Nadu government in ensuring Karnataka doesn’t go ahead with the project

Reiterating its opposition to Mekedatu reservoir project, Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said it was taking all “necessary action” including legal action to prevent Karnataka from constructing a reservoir at Mekedatu across River Cauvery since it believes such a development will be in “violation” of the tribunal’s final order and Supreme Court judgement.

In the policy note tabled in the Assembly, the Water Resources Department said the state government has been conveying from time to time its strong objections to Karnataka and the Union Government on the proposal of constructing a reservoir with a capacity of 67.16 tmcft at Mekedatu.

Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan said it was only on the insistence of Tamil Nadu that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in its 17th meeting on October 29 deferred the decision to discuss Mekedatu project which was included in the agenda at the insistence of Karnataka.

The minister spoke in detail about the steps being taken by the Tamil Nadu government in ensuring Karnataka doesn’t go ahead with the project including letters written by Chief Minister M K Stalin to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and a resolution passed in the state Assembly.

Durai Murugan also maintained that CWMA taking up Mekedatu project for discussion will be in violation of the Supreme Court judgment as the agency was constituted only to implement the orders of the Tribunal in sharing Cauvery water.

“The Government of Tamil Nadu is taking all necessary action including legal action to prevent Karnataka from constructing a Dam at Mekedatu or any other place, in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka, in violation of the Final Order of the Tribunal and the Judgment of the Supreme Court and to safeguard the rights of Tamil Nadu,” the policy note added.

Tamil Nadu has been opposed to the construction of a dam in Mekedatu by Karnataka saying it would obstruct the natural flow of water. The state has also petitioned the Union Government regarding this even as a petition filed by it is pending before the Supreme Court.

While Tamil Nadu says its concurrence is needed since it is the lower riparian state, Karnataka argues otherwise.

On the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar link project, the government said it has "in-principle" approval for Rs 6,941 crore for the formation of a new canal from Kattalai Barrage to South Vellar and administrative sanction to form flood carrier canal for a length of 4.10 km in Karur District 5.355 km length in Trichy and Pudukottai districts.

Durai Murugan said the government is in the process of preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Phase-II and Phase-III of the project which will have a total command area to an extent of 52,332.63 hectare.