Chennai, July 29:
CPM State Secretary P. Shanmugam on Tuesday strongly criticised the Union government over its response in the Rajya Sabha stating that Tamil Nadu’s consent is not required for Karnataka to construct the proposed Mekedatu dam, and announced protests across the Cauvery delta districts on August 2.
In a statement, Shanmugam said the reply by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary had come as a “shock” to farmers and the people of Tamil Nadu. He expressed concern that such a position undermines the State’s rights over the inter-State river.
He also took exception to PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss raising the issue in Parliament, stating that the focus should instead be on safeguarding Tamil Nadu’s irrigation rights and opposing Karnataka’s attempts to proceed with the Mekedatu project.
Emphasising established norms, Shanmugam said it is an internationally accepted principle that upper riparian States cannot take unilateral decisions on inter-State river disputes. He alleged that the Union government was aware of this principle but continued to act against Tamil Nadu’s interests by giving such a reply without considering its implications.
The CPM leader further charged that Karnataka had consistently failed to release Tamil Nadu’s due share of Cauvery water as mandated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and the Supreme Court’s final judgment. Instead, he claimed, Tamil Nadu was being treated merely as a drainage outlet for surplus water during periods of heavy rainfall.
Warning of serious consequences, Shanmugam said construction of the Mekedatu dam could deprive Tamil Nadu of its rightful share of water, posing a major threat to irrigation and drinking water supply and potentially turning fertile regions into arid land.
He also noted that the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Cauvery dispute had primarily addressed Karnataka’s plea on water sharing and had not examined all aspects of the Tribunal’s award.
Shanmugam urged the Union government to withdraw the minister’s reply in Parliament and take concrete steps to protect the rights of lower riparian States, including Tamil Nadu.