JOIN USCauvery Water Management Authority nod must for Mekedatu project: Centre
The Centre on Thursday said the Mekedatu project, proposed by Karnataka, required the approval of the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA).
The Detail Project Report (DPR) sent by Karnataka was tabled in the CWMA several times for approval, but the discussion on this issue could not take place due to a lack of consensus among party states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Replying to JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna's question, the Minister said that Karnataka had submitted a Feasibility Report (FR) of Mekedatu project in 2018 to the Central Water Commission (CWC) seeking "in-principle" clearance for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the project. The Screening Committee of Central Water Commission accorded “in-principle” clearance for preparation of DPR by project with certain conditions in October 2018.
Subsequently, Karnataka had submitted the DPR to the Central Water Commission in January 2019. The Commission referred the matter to the CWMA for consideration, but the Authority failed to make a decision due to lack of consensus among the riparian states, Shekhawat said.
Since the project was proposed across an inter-state river, it required approval of lower riparian state(s) as per the interstate water dispute act. When Karnataka submitted the DPR to Jal Shakti Ministry for seeking approval, the Ministry informed the state that the project required approval of lower riparian states as well, he said.
Shekhawat also said that as per the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal's final award, which was modified by the Supreme Court, acceptance of CWMA would be a prerequisite for consideration of the DPR by the Jal Shakti Ministry.
He also said that the project proposal was also considered by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in July 2019, its final decision was deferred after Tamil Nadu requested not to grant ToR (Terms of Reference). The EAC had opined that once an amicable solution is arrived at by the two states, the proposal can be put up for reconsideration for grant of ToR.
To another question, the Minister said the Ministry of Environment and Forests has not accorded environmental clearance for the project so far.
Karnataka proposed to build a balancing reservoir across Cauvery at Mekedatu near Kanakapura to supply drinking water to Ramnagara, Kanakapura and surrounding areas and produce electricity. However, the project has been opposed by neighbouring Tamil Nadu.