Tamil Nadu moves SC against Mekadatu Project

Tamil Nadu has told the apex court that Karnataka unilaterally sent a Feasibility Report of the Mekedatu project to the Central Water Commission(CWC) and the latter instead of honouring SC judgement, proceeded to entertain the proposal.

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu state government has moved the Supreme Court against the Karnataka government seeking to restrain it from proceeding with any activity regarding the construction of a reservoir at Mekadatu across the inter-state river Cauvery.

"It is stated that the planning of the Mekadatu project by the State of Karnataka with a capacity of 67.16 TMC ft. and generation of 400 MW power at a cost about Rs 9,000 crore is in gross violation of the decision of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal dated February 5, 2007 as affirmed by this Hon'ble Court in its judgement dated February 16, 2018 reported in (2018) 4 SCC 1," read the application.

The top court had ruled that the "upper riparian state shall not take any action so as to affect the scheduled deliveries of water to the lower riparian states".

Tamil Nadu has told the court that Karnataka unilaterally sent a Feasibility Report of the Mekedatu project to the Central Water Commission(CWC) and CWC instead of honouring SC judgement, proceeded to entertain the proposal. It says that the project would result in impounding the flows generated in Cauvery from the uncontrolled catchment of Kabini sub-basin downstream of Kabini reservoir, the catchment of Cauvery river downstream of KRS dam, uncontrolled flows from Shimsha, Arkavathy and Suvarnavathy sub-basins and various other small streams.

"The proposed construction by Karnataka would have a cascading effect on the daily and monthly inflows during the crucial months of June to September as stipulated in the final order of the Tribunal as affirmed by this Hon'ble court resulting in prejudicing the livelihood of lakhs of inhabitants of Tamil Nadu depending on the flows from the upstream in Karnataka. Further, any new scheme contemplated should be taken up only with the consent of the other basin states as they are vitally affected by the unilateral action of the upper riparian state," said the state.

Tamil Nadu has prayed for directions to CWC to reject the Mekadatu project report sent by Karnataka and restrain the Environment and Forest ministry from clearing the project.

The Mekadatu project has been a point of contention between the two governments for some time now. Attempts by both sides to dissuade the other have failed to yield any result leading to the issue landing in the apex court.