Bengaluru: Water Resources Minister, D K Shivakumar alleged on Friday that Tamil Nadu's opposition to the Mekedatu project was merely political in nature and it was aware that it would benefit from it as much as Karnataka.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the proposed project site in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district, he said the government was ready to take an all- party delegation from Tamil Nadu to the Mekedatu reservoir project site if it wished to visit it and explain how it could help the neighbouring state too. " Tamil Nadu's opposition to this project is purely political in nature. I request it with folded hands not to oppose this scheme. Karnataka is ready for talks with it on the project, " he added.
Mr Shivakumar said he was surprised that a special session of the legislature had been convened by the Tamil Nadu government on the issue as Karnataka was not interested in making a controversy of it. "Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswamy is a learned person and so we are confident that the writ petition filed in the Supreme Court will be withdrawn," he said, once again urging the Union government to intervene in the matter and help both states arrive at an understanding.
The Minister also reiterated that not an inch of land would be irrigated in Karnataka from the water of the reservoir. "Karnataka only proposes to generate around 450 MW of power from the dam and utilise 18 tmc ft of water for drinking, of which 4.5 tmc ft of water will be for Bengaluru city. So Tamil Nadu has nothing to worry about," he assured. A few days ago, the Centre had permitted Karnataka for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the reservoir-cum-drinking water project.
