Chennai: The Central Government has announced that no permission has been granted to Karnataka for the construction of the Mekedatu Dam across the Cauvery River.
The Karnataka government has been pursuing the construction of the Mekedatu Dam and has applied for permission from the Central Government. Karnataka has sent several letters and submitted a detailed project report regarding the dam. The Tamil Nadu government has opposed this project and has sent two letters to the Ministry of Jal Shakti expressing their objections.
Under the Right to Information Act, a query was raised regarding whether the detailed project report submitted by Karnataka for the Mekedatu Dam had received approval.
In response, the Central Water Commission, which operates under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, stated that permission has not been granted to Karnataka for the construction of the Mekedatu Dam. The response also mentioned that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had written a letter requesting permission for the dam’s construction due to water scarcity in Karnataka.
The reply from the Central Water Commission confirms that Karnataka has not yet received approval for the Mekedatu Dam project.