Members cutting across political parties in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday condemned the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s unanimous resolution against construction of the Mekedatu dam in the Cauvery basin in the State, arguing that the neighbouring State has no right to object to the project in the territorial jurisdiction of Karnataka.
To counter Tamil Nadu’s resolution, the State Government has decided to move a resolution in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday urging the Centre to provide environment clearances for construction of the balancing reservoir, for catering to the drinking water needs of Bengaluru city.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly during the zero hour, three former Chief Ministers — B.S. Yediyurppaa (BJP), Siddaramaiah (Congress) and H.D. Kumaraswamy (JD-S) — strongly condemned the Tamil Nadu Government for interfering in the State’s project and said the former’s resolution was politically motivated and bore no relevance to Karnataka.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that Karnataka has proposed the dam project as per the tribunal order and Supreme Court ruling delivered in 2018. In the last few years, Karnataka has released water over and above the required 177.25 tmc to Tamil Nadu, which was stipulated by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal during the normal year, he said.
“We very strongly urge the Centre to give DPR and environmental clearance to it,” Mr. Bommai said, and added that Tamil Nadu’s resolution was against the spirit of federalism. Tamil Nadu, a lower riparian state, has been constructing water projects without allocation of water under the tribunal order, the CM said. “We will pilot the resolution tomorrow (Wednesday) after consulting legal experts to give a fitting reply to the Tamil Nadu government led by M.K. Stalin,” Mr. Bommai said.
Mr. Bommai said he had already informed Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat about the outcome of an all-party meeting held in Bengaluru on irrigation projects last Friday, he said.
Referring to providing drinking water to Chennai under the Telugu-Ganga project from the Krishna basin, Mr. Bommai said Tamil Nadu has been receiving water to its city from outside its basin area and Karnataka has a share in it.
Earlier, H.K. Patil (Congress) raised the issue and said Tamil Nadu has set a bad precedent by passing an unanimous resolution against the dam and the State. Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said the Tamil Nadu government has no legal right to oppose the project and the State has every right to utilise 4.75 tmc water allocated by the Supreme Court order on February 16, 2018, to cater to the drinking water requirement of Bengaluru city. Besides releasing 177.25 tmc of Cauvery water in each year, Tamil Nadu received an additional 582 tmc water in the last 2-3 years, he said.
Congress leaders urged the State Government to move the resolution in the Assembly condemning Tamil Nadu’s interference in construction of projects within the State. They also asked Mr. Bommai to put pressure on the Centre to clear the DPR and obtain environment clearance for the project. Congress members took out a padayatra seeking early execution of the project.
Mr. Yediyurappa suggested that Mr. Bommai meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, if required, to get the green signal for the project. Mr. Kumaraswamy said Tamil Nadu’s approval was not needed for the Mekedatu project.
