Top

Mekedatu: Tamil Nadu's petition comes as a big hurdle for Karnataka

With the apex court adjourning hearing on SLP to the third week of November, the approval for the project by state cabinet may be delayed.

Bengaluru: The Congress government is keen on laying the foundation stone for the much-talked about Mekedatu drinking water project in Cauvery basin before the 2018 elections but the special leave petition (SLP) filed by Tamil Nadu challenging the final award of Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal before the Supreme Court has prevented the government from pushing ahead with the project.

With the apex court adjourning hearing on the SLP to the third week of November, the approval of the project by the state cabinet may be delayed. Under Mekedatu project, a dam has been proposed across river Cauvery near Mekedatu to generate 400 MW of power and store drinking water to meet the needs of Bengaluru.

Though the state government submitted a detailed memorandum to the Prime Minister on April 30, 2015 seeking cooperation to take up a technical study of the project, the changed circumstances have prevented the government from going ahead with the project, said sources.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, an advocate appearing for Karnataka before the Supreme Court on the Cauvery dispute, said Karnataka has to share 192 tmcft of water with Tamil Nadu in a normal year of which 80 tmcft should flow to Tamil Nadu through the uncontrolled catchment area. The proposed Mekedatu project will come up in the uncontrolled catchment area, he said.

Moreover, clause XIII of the Tribunal order states: “Karnataka and Tamil Nadu brought to our notice that a few hydro-power projects in the common reach boundary are being negotiated with the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC). We have only to observe that whenever any such hydropower project is constructed and Cauvery waters stored in the reservoir, the pattern of downstream releases should be consistent with our order so that the irrigation requirements are not jeopardised”.

“It is crystal clear from the Tribunal order that Karnataka cannot make use of excess water. If it has excess water, the Tribunal stated that Karnataka can store it for the successive year. Even our legal team at Delhi stated that the Tribunal has not given permission to Karnataka to use excess water,” the advocate said.

So the state government has decided to go slow on the project till the Supreme Court decides on the SLP. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has filed an IA challenging the Karnataka government’s decision to take up Shivanasamudra and Mekedatu project which is pending before the Supreme Court.

The state government, in its reply to this, has stated that TN will not suffer due to Mekedatu project as its operation would be subject to obligation to ensure 192 tmcft of water at the inter-state border in a normal year.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
Next Story