Chennai: The Opposition DMK in Tamilnadu has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to allow construction of a new dam at Mekedatu across river Cauvery by Karnataka.
In a letter to Modi, DMK president M K Stalin urged him not to approve the Detailed Project Report (DPR) given by Karnataka and also not allow construction of the reservoir against the orders of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court.
Stalin said he was disappointed that Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddiyurappa met Modi and demanded for early approvals and clearances for irrigation and drinking water projects, including Mekedatu despite strongest opposition from Tamilnadu.
“The proposed Mekedatu reservoir is in total violation of the February 5, 2007 Final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as well as the February 16, 2018 Apex court verdict and is completely detrimental to the interest of the farmers and the drinking water needs of the common people,” he said.
Stating that the farmers and people of Tamilnadu have been consistently and persistently opposing the Mekedatu project in Karnataka, he said in fact, unanimous resolutions were passed in the State Assembly disapproving the Mekedatu project against all the norms of the Inter-State River.
Stalin said the civil appeal filed by Tamilnadu seeking to restrain Karnataka from going ahead with the Mekedatu project was also pending before the Supreme Court and hence the matter was now subjudice.
“The proposed Mekedatu reservoir under the guise of drinking water purpose will irreparably and irreversibly affect the flow of water from river Cauvery to the lower riparian States, particularly Tamilnadu, and also threatens the very existence of many combined water supply schemes catering to the needs of lakhs of people,” he said.
“Very importantly, it will drastically disturb and affect the distribution of water to Tamilnadu as per the allocation of water in the final order notified in the Gazette”, he pointed out.
Stalin said on behalf of the DMK, he urged the Prime Minister to instruct the concerned Central Ministries neither to give approval for the DPR nor for the construction of Mekedatu reservoir by Karnataka as demanded by Yeddiyurappa, which would be against the interest of both the farmers and the people of the State of Tamilnadu.