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TN to Modi: Don’t approve Mekedatu project

Last Updated 24 June 2019, 16:48 IST

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday dashed off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to instruct authorities to reject permission for construction of Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and drinking water project across River Cauvery by Karnataka.

The letter came as news reports emerged that the Karnataka government has submitted a proposal before the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change seeking approval for the project aimed at providing drinking water for Bengaluru and surrounding areas.

In the letter, Palaniswami argued that Karnataka’s action of seeking environmental clearance for Mekedatu project is in utter violation of the final order of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal and the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on February 16, 2018.

“The proposed Mekedatu Project is not in conformity with the Final Order of the Tribunal and the judgement of the Supreme Court, since the Project is not a designated reservoir for the release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu in terms of the Final Order of the Tribunal as modified by the Honourable Supreme Court,” Palaniswami said in the letter.

“I request you to direct the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to issue instructions to the authorities concerned not to consider the proposal of Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Niyamita for grant of Terms of Reference to obtain Environmental Clearance for Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Drinking water project,” he said in the letter.

Palaniswami also wanted Modi to ask Ministry of Jal Shakthi to advise the Central Water Commission to reject outright and return the detailed project report of the project .

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(Published 24 June 2019, 16:25 IST)

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