Chennai: The Supreme Court today turned down the Tamilnadu government’s request to issue a stay order preventing Karnataka from preparing a detailed project report (DPR) to build a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu.
Hearing the petition today, the apex court judges said a stay order was not needed as only the DPR was being prepared, but added that the approval of the Supreme Court is needed before construction of the dam.
The Supreme Court also issued notices to Karnataka and the Central governments asking them to explain their stand in the Mekedatu issue within four weeks.
The plea filed by Tamilnadu 30 November mentioned in detail the problems the State and its farmers would suffer if the neighbouring State constructed a dam across the river.
Recently, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Water Resources Ministry to forthwith withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for the DPR.
The proposed reservoir, to be built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore, will occupy 4,000 acres of forest land in Kanakapura Assembly constituency and also a small parcel of land from the neighbouring Malavalli.
As soon as the Central Water Commission gave its go-ahead for the Mekedatu project, Union Minister of State for Finance, Pon Radhakrishnan, made his stand clear that he was totally opposed to the project.
In a specially convened session, the Tamilnadu Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to withdraw its approval for the DPR, while the upper riparian state, Karnataka, asserted that the project was its ‘right’.
Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar sought an opportunity to explain the benefits of the proposed Mekedatu project on the Cauvery river in his State to the AIADMK-led Tamilnadu government and the Opposition DMK, while asserting that it was aimed at helping the farmers of Tamilnadu, but the request has been turned down.
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had earlier said they are 100 per cent sure of constructing the reservoir.