Will respond promptly & correctly to TN’s opposition to discuss Mekedatu project, says Karnataka CM

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the state government will ”promptly and correctly” respond to Tamil Nadu’s opposition to discussion on the Mekedatu project in Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting on June 17.

Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the CWMA restraining any discussion on Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project at its meeting.

”It is a miscellaneous application, you should try to understand about different types of applications in the Supreme Court. They have to issue notice to us, and we will promptly and correctly respond to it,” Bommai told reporters in response to a question.

”The Tamil Nadu government doesn’t have any jurisdiction to direct the Government of India on what to do and what not to. The CWMA is a body that has been constituted on the orders of the Supreme Court. It alone has the authority to give clearance to any projects and regarding the tribunal orders…it (TN’s plea) stands the scrutiny of the court,” he said.

Contending that the CWMA does not have powers to discuss the Mekedatu project issue, as it is sub judice, TN’s Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan had said his state would vehemently oppose any discussion on the contentious project at the meeting in New Delhi on June 17.

The state has been necessitated to move the apex court as a discussion on the DPR on the Mekedatu project was included in the agenda of the 16th meeting of the authority, he had said while assuring that the state government would take firm steps to protect the interest and rights of the Tamil Nadu farmers on the Cauvery water issue.

Mekedatu is a multi-purpose (drinking and power) project proposed by Karnataka, which involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in the Ramanagara district.

Neighboring Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project, raising apprehensions that the state would be affected if the project takes shape.

The project, once completed, is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighboring areas (4.75 TMC) and also can generate 400 MW of power, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore.