Won’t back down on Mekedatu, says CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, accused his Tamil Nadu counterpart of “politicising” the Mekedatu dam project proposed across the river Cauvery and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to go ahead with the project.

“There is no legal hurdle to the project. There is no violation of Tribunal award. Jayalalithaa is creating this fuss for political reasons. She is using the issue for her political benefits,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here. “At any cost we will go ahead with the project,” he said.

During her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai on Friday, Jayalalithaa had submitted a memorandum to him that included her government’s opposition to the proposed Mekedatu dam project. The project, Jayalalithaa had said, was “in violation” of the final award and urged Modi to advise Karnataka not to proceed with the project without Tamil Nadu’s concurrence.

In the memorandum, she had also demanded that the Centre should immediately form the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee for implementing the final award given by the disputes tribunal. Siddaramaiah in his budget speech on March 13 had proposed preparing a detailed project report for construction of balancing reservoir on the upstream of Mekedatu across the Cauvery.

He had said Global Expression of Interest had been invited and a sum of Rs 25 crore provided in the coming fiscal. After these announcements, farmers belonging to both the states had called for bandh separately expressing their sentiments for and against the project. Both the state governments had also led a delegation to the Prime Minister to put forward their case.

DPR to be ready in 4 months: M. B. Patil

A day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa submitted a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposing Mekedatu project, water resources minister M. B. Patil said on Saturday a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the controversial dam would be submitted to the Central Water Commission in four months. “We will also give Tamil Nadu a copy of DPR for review,” he told the media after chairing a brief review meeting of various irrigation projects underway in Mysuru division.

Dismissing allegations by Ms Jayalalitha that Karnataka would not be able to comply with the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on release of 192 TMC feet water every year, he said Mekedatu project would not come in the way of Karnataka meeting its commitment in terms of release of water to Tamil Nadu.

“Mekedatu balancing reservoir is being planned only to store water which flows down stream from KRS and Kabini towards Tamil Nadu, and also to maintain the ecological balance and rejuvenate ground water in the river bed area,” he said adding that a delegation of leaders of all parties which would meet Mr Modi soon on implementation of Kalasa-Banduri project would clarify the state’s stand on Mekedatu once again.

Mr Patil said as regulations of Central Water Commission have changed over the last ten years, the government would draw up a DPR to meet all criteria including hydrology, environment assessment, social impact and others.