Chennai: Strongly condemning Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddiyurappa’s assertion that a new dam at Mekedatu across river Cauvery would be constructed, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss on Sunday urged the Centre to take a policy decision that no permission would be given to the neighbouring state without the consent of the Tamilnadu government on the issue.
In a statement here, he said the governments at the Centre had always been favouring Karnataka on the Cauvery issue and this has emboldened Yeddiyurappa to say that the dam at Mekedatu would be constructed at any coast.
“Only if a situation is created that there is absolutely no chance to construct a dam at Mekedatu, the farmers in Tamilnadu will live in peace”, he said.
Urging the Centre to withdraw all the permissions granted to Karnataka on the Mekedatu issue, Dr Ramadoss said the Union government should take a policy decision that no nod would be given to Karnataka on the matter without the consent of Tamilnadu.
He said Yeddiyurappa, while speaking in Mysore had said that Centre’s permission would soon be obtained and the dam would be constructed at all costs.
Stating that his remarks, at a time when the matter was pending in the Supreme Court, would result in tension between the two States, he said it has also caused concern among the farmers as the cauvery delta regions, which were depending on Cauvery waters for irrigation, would become a desert if the dam was constructed at
Mekedatu.
Ramadoss’ statement comes days after Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami urged the Centre to reject and return Karnataka’s proposal to construct a dam at Mekedatu.
At a meeting held with Union Minister for Jal Shakthi Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 18 August, he said Karnataka has sought the Centre’s approval for construction of Mekedatu dam.