Chennai: Tamilnadu government today filed a petition at the Supreme Court seeking it to quash the Union Ministry’s clearance to Karnataka to prepare a detailed project report to build a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu.
In the plea, Tamilnadu has mentioned in detail the problems the State and its farmers would suffer if the neighbouring State constructed a dam across the river.
Earlier today, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami chaired a high-level meeting at the Secretariat here, during which the issue was detailed in detail, said sources. Recently, Palaniswami had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Water Resources Ministry to forthwith withdraw the permission given to Karnataka.
The proposed reservoir, to be built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore, will occupy 4,000 acres of forest land in Kanakapura Assembly constituency and also a small parcel of land from the neighbouring Malavalli.
As soon as the Central Water Commission gave its go-ahead for the Mekedatu project, Union Minister of State for Finance, Pon Radhakrishnan, made his stand clear that he was totally opposed to the project.
And on Thursday, the DMK convened an all-party meet during which a resolution to stage a massive agitation 4 December at Tiruchi was passed.
“As the time is short, we couldnt invite parties but welcome all of them irrespective of differences to participate in our protest. Even the BJP is welcome to it. As the delta region will bear the brunt of the upcoming dam, we have planned the protest in Tiruchi,” DMK president Stalin said after heading the meeting held at Arivalayam.
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had however firmly said they are 100 per cent sure of constructing the reservoir.
Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, without sharing much details, said the issue will be discussed in the meeting of former Chief Ministers and former Water Resource Ministers called by the state government 6 December.