Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay urges PM to halt Karnataka’s Mekedatu Reservoir Project

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately intervene and stop Karnataka from proceeding with the proposed Mekedatu Reservoir Project across the Cauvery River, alleging that the move violates Supreme Court orders and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award.

In a detailed letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister expressed deep concern over Karnataka's announcement of a "Bhoomi Puja" for the Mekedatu project. He stated that the development has created widespread anxiety among farmers in Tamil Nadu who depend on the Cauvery waters for agriculture and livelihood.

The Tamil Nadu government argued that the Mekedatu project was never approved under the CWDT Final Award, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court in its landmark judgment dated February 16, 2018. The letter stressed that the Cauvery basin is already categorised as a water-deficient basin and that the available water has been fully allocated among the riparian States.

"You may be well aware that a solution to the sensitive Cauvery water dispute was obtained after a long legal battle, lasting about three decades, and the Judgment dated February 16, 2018, is under implementation. Mekedatu Project is not in the list of projects permitted by the Tribunal, which has been affirmed by the above-mentioned Judgment. There is no scope for additional utilization or for creating a new huge storage reservoir, since the Cauvery basin is found to be a deficit basin and the available water at 50 per cent dependability has already been allocated to the party States. Therefore, planning any new project across Cauvery or its tributaries, other than those specifically permitted by the Tribunal in its Final Award as affirmed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its Judgment, would tantamount to interfering with the said Judgment," Vijay said in his letter.

According to the Chief Minister, Karnataka's proposal to build a massive reservoir with a storage capacity of 67.16 TMC near the Tamil Nadu border could obstruct the natural flow of water that Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive under the Tribunal's award and the Supreme Court verdict. (ANI)

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