THANJAVUR
The Uzhavar Aran and the Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu (Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee) have urged the Tamil Nadu government to act swiftly to prevent the construction of a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu.
In statements issued, the organisations have exhorted the Tamil Nadu government to learn from the history of how the upper riparian State built dams across the Cauvery and its tributaries in its domain in the past.
The dams – Hemavathi, Herangi and Kabini – have come up in the past when the Congress was in power both at New Delhi and at Bengaluru, they pointed out and warned that a similar situation prevailed now also.
Hence, the Tamil Nadu government should initiate necessary actions immediately to check the Karnataka government and get even the excess water that gets drained into Cauvery during good monsoons, they added.
Stating that the Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S.Yediyurappa’s recent announcement that the dam construction works would commence at Mekedatu was the fallout of the National Green Tribunal’s decision to close the proceedings against Mekedatu project, the organisations exhorted the Tamil Nadu government to act swiftly and save the Cauvery Delta in the lower riparian State.
