Tamil Nadu urges Centre not to give permission to Karnataka's Mekedatu dam project

An all-party meeting, chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, requested the central government not to give any permission to the Karnataka government for the project as it would affect the availability of water for irrigation to Tamil Nadu farmers.

Chennai: An all-party meeting led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday urged the Union government not to give clearances to Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam project as it would affect the availability of water for irrigation to Tamil Nadu farmers. The meeting was attended by 13 party representatives of Tamil Nadu including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where three resolutions were unanimously passed.

RESOLUTION - 1

According to the Supreme Court ruling, no construction work should be carried out in Mekadatu without the prior permission of the subordinate states of the Cauvery. Beyond that, the Karnataka Government's full-scale efforts to build a dam across Mekadatu are reprehensible. The project will also affect the water source of Tamil Nadu farmers. Such an attempt against the Supreme Court judgment is a challenge to the majesty of the Constitution of India. Hence, all the departments of the Union government that are related to the project should not grant any permission for the project.

RESOLUTION - 2

All parties in the State will extend their full support and co-operation to all measures taken by the Government of Tamil Nadu to prevent Karnataka from undertaking any dam construction activity at Mekedatu.

RESOLUTION - 3

To fully reflect the overall opposition of the people of Tamil Nadu, the resolutions of this meeting should be presented to the Union Government in person by all parties as to the first step. And after that, the Government will also take legal actions if needed on the pending cases at the Supreme court regarding the issue. In order to show the state's total opposition to the dam project, the meeting also decided to submit the resolutions to the central government and take all legal actions including the pending case in the Supreme Court of India.

Meanwhile, Stalin while meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi recently explained Tamil Nadu's position on the dam and stressed on protection of the rights of the farmers in the state. Later Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan also met Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and discussed the Mekedatu dam matter.