Cauvery issue: Tamil Nadu CM urges PM Modi to reject Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam plan

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday sought the urgent personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deny Karnataka’s dam plan across the Cauvery river.
His request to the PM comes after the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Niyamita of Karnataka moved the Union environment ministry a preliminary clearance for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project.
“This action of Karnataka seeking environment clearance for Mekedatu project is in utter violation of the final order of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal and judgement of the Supreme Court in February last year,” Palaniswami said, seeking Modi’s directions to the environment ministry to reject the neighbouring state’s proposal.
The chief minister said the ministry of jal sakthi might be directed to advise the Central Water Commission to reject and return the detailed project report of the reservoir plan and not to accord any clearance to the project without obtaining the concurrence of the Tamil Nadu government and other co-basin states.
The state has been conveying its objections to Karnataka’s dam plan since the project was not a designated reservoir for the release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu in terms of the final order of the tribunal as modified by the Supreme Court later.
“Cauvery being a deficit basin, construction of Mekedatu or any project in any place by upper riparian states will drastically affect the lower riparian states in getting due share of water as per final order of the tribunal as modified by the SC,” Palaniswami said, recalling that the matter was pending before the Supreme Court.
The chief minister had taken up the issue during his recent meeting with Modi.