Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw permission granted to Karnataka for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project at Mekedatu across the Cauvery river.
Bringing to Mr Narendra Modi’s notice that the Central Water Commission (CWC) in November 2018 has conveyed its decision to the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd., Karnataka to go ahead with the preparation of DPR for the Mekedatu project, Mr Palaniswami said in a Demi-Official letter to PM, that the CWC has given the nod without considering the genuine and justifiable objections of Tamil Nadu.
Referring to his earlier letter dated September 4, he said he had requested the PM to instruct the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation to direct the CWC to stop forthwith further processing of the feasibility report of Karnataka to construct the Balancing Reservoir at Mekedatu and not to give any consent to any projects in the Cauvery river without obtaining prior concurrence of Tamil Nadu and other co-basin States.
“I also reiterated the same in the Memorandum presented to you on October 8. The Government of Tamil Nadu has already conveyed its decision to the Government of India that the feasibility report of Karnataka for its Mekedatu project is not acceptable and also furnished detailed comments to the feasibility report,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
The proposal for reservoir is not just for drinking water alone as claimed by Karnataka, but to increase the extent of irrigation, which is in clear violation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal Award as affirmed by the Supreme Court, the CM contended.
“The CWC without considering the genuine and justifiable objections of Tamil Nadu has given permission to Karnataka to prepare the DPR for Mekedatu project. The action of the CWC has caused great alarm and apprehension among the people of Tamil Nadu as it will affect the livelihood of lakhs of farmers who depend on Cauvery water,” he stressed.
He requested Mr. Modi to “kindly” direct the Union Water Resources Ministry, to instruct the CWC to forthwith withdraw the permission given to Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd., for preparing the DPR.
