House stresses TN right to be consulted on river projects

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu state Assembly on Friday passed a resolution asking the Centre not to give its nod for new reservoir projects in Kerala and Karnataka or environment clearance for them without consulting Tamil Nadu. The resolution, piloted by Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, is aimed at reining in the two neighbouring states from working against the interests of TN in the matter of sharing the waters of inter-state rive-rs.
 

“The Assembly resolution urges the Union Water Resources Ministry not to accord technical sanction for new dam projects of Karnataka and Kerala and the Environment and Forest Ministry should not grant clearance for such projects without consulting TN,” the resolution moved by Mr Panneerselvam said. It was passed unanimously on Friday evening.Despite the great efforts of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa in getting the February 2, 2007 final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) (on sharing the waters of Cauvery system among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry) notified in the gazette on February 19, 2013 the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee have not been constituted.

It was resolved that the Centre should take steps to immediately set up the CMB and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee. Also, necessary steps should be taken to halt the proposed construction of two new dams in Mekadatu by Karnataka in violation of the final award of Cauvery Tribunal.
 

The resolution further urged the Centre to advice Karnataka to not go ahead with any dam project like Mekadatu till the operationalisation of CMB and without the consent of TN.
Similarly, Kerala should be advised to not take up any work for a new dam across River Pambaru. Also it should not attempt to take up any project till the operationalisation of CMB and permission of Tamil Nadu. Earlier in the day, the DMK members were evicted en masse by Speaker P. Dhanapal for obstructing the proceedings of the House.