Tamil Nadu CM urges Modi to withdraw nod given to Karnataka to prepare Mekedatu dam project report

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Union water resources ministry to immediately withdraw the permission given to the Karnataka government for preparation of detailed project report for Mekedatu balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project.
In a letter to Modi, Palaniswami said the Central Water Commission had given permission to Karnataka to prepare the detailed project report without considering the genuine and justifiable objections of Tamil Nadu. “The action of the CWC has caused great alarm and apprehension among the people of Tamil Nadu, as it will affect the livelihood of lakhs of farmers who depend on Cauvery water,” the chief minister said.

In September, Palaniswami requested Modi to stop further processing of the feasibility report of the Karnataka government for the project and not to give any consent to any projects in the river Cauvery without obtaining the prior concurrence of Tamil Nadu and other co-basin states. He reiterated the request in a memorandum presented in October.

The chief minister said his government had conveyed its decision to the central government that the feasibility report was not acceptable. It furnished detailed comments to the feasibility report.

“The proposal for reservoir is not just for drinking water alone, as claimed by Karnataka, but to increase the extent of irrigation which is in clear violation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award as affirmed by the Supreme Court,” the CM said.