TN parties slam Karnataka's move to construct dam in Mekedatu

Chennai/Bengaluru: Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the main opposition DMK, on Friday slammed Karnataka’s proposed move to construct check dams across river Cauvery in that state. 

The parties urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to prevent Karnataka from going ahead with its move.

“The newly-formed AIADMK government should immediately take up the issue with the Centre and prevent Karnataka’s proposed move,” DMK working president M K Stalin said in a statement. 

Terming Karnataka’s decision as “unilateral”, he said DMK was of the opinion that the move would harm “relations between the two states”. 

CPI(M) Tamil Nadu unit secretary G Ramakrishnan while condemning the neighbouring state for taking steps to go ahead with its plan, demanded that the Centre immediately intervene and prevent construction of the new dam. 

“The party’s Executive Committee urges the Centre to expedite the steps to implement the award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal,” he said. 

CPI state secretary V Durai Manickam echoed similar views. 

“The Chief Minister should convene a meeting comprising various political parties, farmers associations and press the Centre on the issue,” he said. 

Karnataka had proposed to construct check dams across the Cauvery at Mekedatu. 

The state claims that the project would meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and other towns that would arise in future in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka.