Bengaluru, June 19:
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday defended the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, asserting that it would benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka and reiterating that the state remained committed to releasing 177 TMC of Cauvery water to the neighbouring state as mandated by the Supreme Court.
Responding to Tamil Nadu Governor RV Arlekar’s address to the state assembly calling for halting Karnataka’s attempt to build the Mekedatu dam on the river Cauvery, Shivakumar clarified that the Mekedatu proposal is intended primarily to ensure drinking water security for Bengaluru and to regulate water releases downstream during times of distress.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to reject the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery River.