Tamil Nadu CM asks Centre not to allow Mekedatu
Chennai: Opposing any move by the Karnataka Government to launch a drinking water and power project in Mekedatu across the river Cauvery, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday asked the Centre not to accord any clearance till all disputes relating to Cauvery water are resolved.
In a letter to Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Mr Palaniswami quoted media reports that said the Karnataka Government has approached the Central Water Commission seeking technical clearance to Detailed Project Report for the Mekedatu Multipurpose Project (Drinking Water and Power) across the river Cauvery.
Contending that the power and drinking water project is in violation of the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, the Chief Minister reminded Ms Bharti of the letter he wrote to her in February this year and the memorandum submitted to PM Modi reiterating the state’s position that the DPR for the project cannot be sent unilaterally by Karnataka to the Centre.
“It is unfortunate that the Government of Karnataka, in violation of the Final Order of the Tribunal and without obtaining the prior concurrence of the Government of Tamil Nadu, has unilaterally sent the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Mekedatu Project to the Central Water Commission for techno-economic clearance,” Palaniswami said in the letter.
This, the CM noted, has come despite Ms Bharti herself advising the Karnataka share the plans for Shivasamudram Hydroelectric Project and Mekedatu Project with all the co-basin states as required under the order of the Tribunal, to bring them on board before taking up the DPR or construction.
The Chief Minister asked Ms Bharti to instruct officials of the Central Water Commission not to accord techno-economic clearance to the Mekedatu or any other project in the Cauvery Basin of Karnataka till the concurrence of all the co-basin states are obtained by the Government of Karnataka, the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee are formed and come into force and the judicial references are finally settled.
“Further, the Ministries concerned may be requested not to accord any Forest, Environment, Wild Life Clearances and other statutory clearances to the Mekedatu Project or any other Project in the Cauvery Basin of Karnataka till all the issues on Cauvery Water Dispute are finally settled,” the CM said.