Chennai: Strongly opposing Karnataka’s efforts to construct a reservoir across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu, PMK and MDMK on Sunday asked the Union Government not to sanction the project since both the states have been entangled in water wars over the river.
In separate statements, PMK founder S Ramadoss and MDMK chief Vaiko alleged that the Congress government in Karnataka had sought the nod from the Union government for the Mekedatu dam project by submitting “false documents.”
“Karnataka had told the Centre in its DPR that it could release water for Tamil Nadu, in accordance with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s (CWDT) award, only if the proposed dam was built,” Mr Ramadoss said in a statement here, adding that Karnataka had stopped releasing water for Tamil Nadu citing low levels in its dams.
Since the DPR did not have the concurrence letter from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, it should be sent back to Karnataka, Mr Ramadoss said, adding, “The Centre should not be deceived by the sweet words of Karnataka and the Tamil Nadu government should be vigilant.”
In a separate statement, Mr Vaiko claimed that Karnataka had allocated '5,912 crore towards dam projects, including the one at Mekedatu.
Accusing Karnataka of “acting against the final award of the CWDT”, he said if the new dams were built, Tamil Nadu would not get “even a drop of Cauvery water”.
“Twelve lakh hectares of land in the Cauvery basin would become barren if the new dams are built,” he alleged, urging the Centre not to sanction the project, which he said, would affect the rights of Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery waters.
