PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss urges Centre to reject Karnataka's Mekedatu dam DPR

Chennai: PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday urged the Centre not to accept the detailed project report prepared by Karnataka for the proposed Mekedatu dam.

In a statement, he said, "The Tamil Nadu government should press the central government to revoke the 2018 permission that allowed preparation of the draft project report for construction of the Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery without the State's approval."

Referring to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Sivakumar's remarks, Anbumai said the claim that Tamil Nadu has no right to oppose the Karnataka government’s plan to build the Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery river is "condemnable".

He also disputed Shivakumar's assertion that the DPR has already been submitted and the project would be taken up immediately after approval.

According to him, the Cauvery river serves as an irrigation source for 14 districts and provides drinking water to five crore people across 30 districts including Chennai.

"If the Mekedatu dam is built across the Cauvery, agriculture in those 14 districts and the drinking-water supply for five crore people will be affected," he said adding "Tamil Nadu therefore has the full right and duty to oppose the project." He further pointed out that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal had ruled that Karnataka shold not undertake any construction across the Cauvery without the consent of the basin state Tamil Nadu and the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld this.

"It is a blatant lie for Shivakumar to claim that the SC has ruled that Tamil Nadu has no right to oppose the Mekedatu dam," he said and termed Karnataka’s stand as "unacceptable".

Reiterating that the central Ministry of Water Resources must not accept the DPR prepared on Mekedatu dam, the PMK leader urged the TN government to safeguard the state's rights over the Cauvery.