Bengaluru, Aug 29:
The proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery in Karnataka is not primarily intended to meet Bengaluru’s drinking-water requirements, water experts have argued, questioning the justification being offered by Karnataka for the controversial project.
The experts said Karnataka’s stated argument that the project was essential to meet Bengaluru’s growing drinking-water needs did not fully explain the scale and design of the proposed reservoir.
Karnataka has proposed constructing a major dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu, a project that has been strongly opposed by Tamil Nadu.
According to the proposal, the project is intended to create a reservoir with a capacity of around 67 TMC.
Karnataka has maintained that the reservoir would help meet Bengaluru’s drinking-water requirements and generate hydropower.
Tamil Nadu, however, has consistently argued that construction of the dam would affect the flow of Cauvery water into the State and could undermine the arrangements governing the sharing of the river’s waters.
The experts cited in the report said Bengaluru’s drinking-water requirements could be met through other sources and questioned why a project of such a large storage capacity was necessary for that purpose.
They also pointed to the fact that the Cauvery is an inter-State river and argued that Karnataka could not unilaterally proceed with a project that could alter downstream flows.
The issue has assumed renewed significance following Karnataka’s submission of a revised detailed project report for the Mekedatu dam.
The revised proposal has reportedly retained the project’s large storage capacity and involves significant environmental consequences.
Karnataka’s proposal would also require the diversion of forest land and the felling of a large number of trees.
Tamil Nadu has opposed the project on the grounds that Karnataka should not be permitted to construct a new dam across the Cauvery without resolving the concerns of the downstream State.
The Mekedatu issue has repeatedly triggered political friction between Chennai and Bengaluru and has remained one of the most sensitive Cauvery-related disputes between the two States.
Experts said the debate should focus not only on Bengaluru’s water requirements but also on the project’s implications for the overall Cauvery basin and the rights of downstream users.
The issue is expected to remain a major point of contention between the two neighbouring States.