Mekedatu concerns farmers’ livelihood: Tamil Nadu tells Bommai

Terming Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s remarks over Tamil Nadu’s objections to Mekedatu project as “unacceptable”, Tamil Nadu water resources minister Durai Murugan asked the neighbouring state to halt all reservoir-related work till the Supreme Court disposed of the matter.

In a detailed statement, Murugan referred to the remark made by Bommai on Tuesday—that the Tamil Nadu government’s objection to Mekedatu was a “political stunt”—as “unfortunate” as the Karnataka CM was “belittling” the Tamil Nadu government’s concerns over the reservoir project.

Bommai, on Tuesday, had called it a “political stunt” that his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) drop discussion on Mekedatu from its June 17 meeting agenda.

“Mekedatu is an issue that concerns the livelihood of lakhs of farmers in the state. The Tamil Nadu government has no need or intention to politicise the issue. It is unacceptable that writing a letter to the Prime Minister is being termed as doing politics,” Murugan said.

On June 13, Stalin had written to Modi seeking the latter’s intervention in “desisting” the CWMA from making the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Mekedatu project—to be implemented by Karnataka—a point of discussion in its June 17 meeting.

Also Read: TN's letter to PM on Mekedatu project a political stunt, anti-federal: Karnataka CM Bommai

In the letter, Stalin had contended that Mekedatu was “beyond the scope” of the CWMA and allowing a discussion on the DPR was an “attempt to subvert” an earlier verdict of the Supreme Court. Stalin also told Modi in the letter that his government has moved the apex court asking it to direct the CWMA not to take up the DPR for discussion.

“On behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, I request Bommai not to go ahead with the Mekedatu project till the Supreme Court gives its verdict,” Murugan added.

The water resources minister also punched holes in Bommai’s criticism that Tamil Nadu “did not participate” in meetings of the CWMA, saying the Karnataka CM had not been briefed properly by his officials.

“Tamil Nadu’s participation and objections are recorded in the minutes of the meeting…In the interests of democracy and federalism, Karnataka should accept the Supreme Court verdict in which Mekedatu wasn’t mentioned. While Bengaluru’s needs according to the SC verdict is 4.75 tmcft, how can they build a reservoir with a capacity of 67.6 tmcft,” he asked.

Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project, contending that construction of a new reservoir across Cauvery is against the 2007 final verdict by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, as well as the Supreme Court’s 2018.

The Tamil Nadu state government argued that Cauvery river’s water flow from Karnataka into Tamil Nadu will get disrupted if a new reservoir is built in Karnataka. Although Tamil Nadu thought otherwise, Karnataka said it did not need any permission for constructing the reservoir in Mekedatu.