Mekedatu: Tamil Nadu minister to meet Jal Shakti minister in Delhi on July 6

Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan will on Tuesday meet Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to demand that the union government not accord permission to Karnataka for construction of a reservoir across River Cauvery in Mekedatu.

The minister is also expected to take up the issue of Karnataka “unilaterally” constructing a dam across Markandeya river “affecting” flow of water into the state.

The Tamil Nadu government has already announced that it would seek the help of a water disputes tribunal to solve the problems arising out of the new reservoir across Markandeya river.

Durai Murugan will raise Tamil Nadu’s concerns on Karnataka’s proposed reservoir at Mekedatu.

“We have several issues. We will raise the Mekedatu and Markandeya river issues with the (Union) minister,” Durai Murugan told reporters in Chennai, without elaborating further.

Sources in the government said the minister will register Tamil Nadu’s “strong protest” against Karnataka’s attempts to secure permission to construct a dam across Cauvery in Mekedatu.

Tamil Nadu feels construction of a reservoir in Mekedatu across River Cauvery will obstruct the natural flow in the intermediate catchment areas before the river makes its way into the state.

The government also contends that construction of a new reservoir across the river is against the final award by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the 2018 verdict by the Supreme Court that reduced the state’s quantum of water and increased Karnataka’s share.

“We are clear the project is against the interests of Tamil Nadu. The minister will explain the state’s stand very clearly and we will not budge from our stand,” a senior official said.

The meeting comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and his Karnataka counterpart B S Yediyurappa exchanged their views on the project through letters. While the Karnataka CM asked Stalin to give up opposition to the project, Stalin told Yediyurappa to drop the plan.