Mekedatu: DKS demands all-party delegation to meet PM

With Tamil Nadu moving the Supreme Court against the Mekedatu project, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Let’s all go and meet the PM and get environmental clearance for the project. The state government has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore in the budget for it and there’s no bar from the Supreme Court. We will support the government,” Shivakumar told reporters.

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday moved the top court seeking a direction to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) not to take up for discussion Karnataka’s detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of a reservoir across the Kaveri river at Mekedatu.

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In its petition, Tamil Nadu said the CWMA does not have powers to discuss the Mekedatu issue and recalled that it had stalled discussions on the controversial project in the past. It filed the petition after the CWMA included “discussions on Mekedatu project DPR” in the agenda for its 16th meeting in New Delhi on June 17.

“How will Tamil Nadu be affected by this project? They should ask for whatever water - 177 tmc - that they need to be given. We want to stop the extra water from going into the sea, which will be released to Tami Nadu eventually. So, Mekedatu benefits Tamil Nadu more at the cost of our land and money,” Shivakumar, a former water resources minister, explained.

Shivakumar also pointed out that Karnataka does not hold the key as far as releasing water is concerned. “The key is with the CWMA,” he said.

Earlier this year, the Shivakumar-led Congress led a massive foot march demanding early implementation of the Mekedatu project, which involves constructing a balancing reservoir to regulate the flow of water to Tamil Nadu and utilise 4.75 tmc water for Bengaluru. It also proposes a 400 MW hydroelectricity plant.