Karnataka can't move single brick to build Mekedatu dam without Tamil Nadu’s consent, says Minister

Chennai: Karnataka cannot go ahead with the Mekedatu reservoir project across River Cauvery without the consent of Tamil Nadu, which is a lower riparian state, Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan said on Thursday,

The statement comes close on the heels of the Karnataka reiterating its resolve to go ahead with the project. 

“Karnataka can’t even move a single brick (for the project) without our (Tamil Nadu’s) consent. Please be rest assured about this,” Durai Murugan told the state Assembly while replying to a debate on the Mekedatu dam issue. 

The minister said Karnataka, be it under the BJP rule or Congress administration, has always indulged in “politics” over the issue of building a reservoir across Cauvery in Mekedatu despite knowing well that the Supreme Court has made it clear that the consent of lower riparian states is imperative in this matter. 

“The dam cannot be constructed just because funds have been allotted. Even if they (Karnataka) gets every clearance that is needed, the project cannot take off unless we give our consent. No one in Tamil Nadu, whichever party is in rule, won’t ever give their consent,” the minister said, in response to questions raised by MLAs from various political parties. 

Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami and legislators from other parties sought to know the government’s reaction to the mention of Mekedatu in the Karnataka budget. Members from the Opposition parties also demanded that the Tamil Nadu government should take serious efforts to ensure that Karnataka doesn’t construct the dam. 

Durai Murugan said the Tamil Nadu government did object to Karnataka’s attempts to raise the issue of Mekedatu at the February 1 meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in New Delhi. 

Karnataka’s decision to build a dam in Mekedatu ostensibly to meet growing drinking water needs of Bengaluru before the Cauvery water enters Tamil Nadu has been a source of friction between the two states. 

 While Karnataka says it is well within its rights to construct the dam, Tamil Nadu opposes the same saying the project cannot be implemented without the concurrence of the lower riparian state. 

 Tamil Nadu also contends that the Karnataka Government’s action was against the 2007 final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and the 2018 Supreme Court verdict.