Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan.
Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan on Saturday said the State government was continuously taking all efforts and legal steps to prevent Karnataka’s plan to construct a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu.
In a statement, he pointed out that the government had been opposing Karnataka’s plan from the initial stage itself and had also filed slew of cases.
When these cases came up for hearing, the State government would put forth strong arguments against the proposal, the Minister said.
His statement comes amid reports that Karnataka government has submitted a fresh application seeking Terms of Reference for the project from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Mr. Duraimurugan also pointed out that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had given several representations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to direct the Jal Shakti Ministry not to give approval for the Mekedatu dam or any other proposal.
On June 13, 2022, the Chief Minister wrote a detailed letter to the Prime Minister on the issue, he pointed out.
Mr. Duraimurugan said on July 6, 2021 he met the Union Jal Shakti Minister and presented a representation urging him not to give the nod for Karnataka’s dam proposal. He said he had also led an all-party delegation on July 16, 2021 which met the Union Minister and urged him not to give a go-ahead for the project without the approval of the concerned States. “Again on July 5, 2023, I met the Union Jal Shakti Minister and presented a representation urging him to direct his Ministry to reject Karnataka’s proposal,” he added.
Mr. Duraimurugan also pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2022 unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Union government not to give the nod for the project. Again an all-party delegation met the Jal Shakti Minister on June 22, 2022 on the issue, he added. Mr. Duraimurugan said even this year after the new NDA government was formed, he met the Jal Shakti Minister and made a representation.
He pointed out that the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Water Management Authority in their orders had not given approval for the Mekedatu dam. Karnataka cannot go ahead with its proposal without getting the necessary approvals from the concerned States, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change among others.
