Mekedatu Reservoir Will Benefit Karnataka And Tamil Nadu: DK Shivakumar (image:x.com/DKShivakumar/)
On Tamil Nadu government holding an all-party (legislative) meeting on Cauvery issue, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged Tamil Nadu to allow the construction of Mekedatu reservoir. The project will equally benefit both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, he said.
Taking to X, Deputy Chief Minister wrote: “We have no objection to Tamil Nadu leaders holding an all party meeting, but my only request to Tamil Nadu is to allow the construction of #Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir. This reservoir will benefit both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, equally. This step is needed for the prosperity of both the states.”
“Hence, I hope Tamil Nadu will keep everything aside and give a green light to Mekedatu’s construction and contribute towards marking a new chapter in the development of the region,” he said in the post.
We have no objection to Tamil Nadu leaders holding an all party meeting, but my only request to Tamil Nadu is to allow the construction of #Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir.
This reservoir will benefit both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, equally. This step is needed for the prosperity of…— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) July 16, 2024
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Tamil Nadu All-Party Meeting
Following Karnataka government’s refusal to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Chief minister MK Stalin on Monday announced a meeting of all political parties of the State on Tuesday to discuss future course of action.
In the meeting they adopted a resolution that requested the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to direct Karnataka government to release water in the Cauvery, as per the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority (CWRA).
“If Karnataka fails to comply, we are prepared to approach the Supreme Court once again to ensure justice for Tamil Nadu,” the Economic Times quotes as MK Stalin is saying.
The meeting also condemned the Karnataka government over their refusal to release water in the Cauvery due to Tamil Nadu. MK Stalin also assured that the State government would take all necessary steps to protect the interests of the Tamil Nadu farmers.
Representatives of the parties such as Congress, AIADMK, BJP, PMK, VCK, CPI(M), and CPI were participated in the meeting. Besides, representatives from Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi, Puratchi Bharatham, Kongunadu Makkal Katchi, and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi were also present.
The Cauvery water dispute, is a pressing concern between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. As per the update, the CWRC had instructed the Karnataka government release 1 Thousand Million Cubic Feets (TMC) of water to Tamil Nadu from July 12, 2024 to July 31, 2024.
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However, recently Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, citing local water shortages, restricted Cauvery water releases which currently escalated the tension between both states.
“There was only 63 per cent water in the Cauvery basin dams and the state was not in a position to release one TMC water each day. The state government is ready to release 8,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery river every day to Tamil Nadu instead of the one TMC ft till the end of this month, which was directed by the CWRC,” Siddaramaiah said on Monday.
Mekedatu project
The Mekedatu project is a multipurpose project which plans to act as a balancing reservoir for water distribution to Tamil Nadu and provide drinking water to Bengaluru and neighboring areas. It designed to store about 66 TMC of water and proposed to generate 400 MW of power.
In January, DK Shivakumar ascertained that Mekedatu project would be completed during the current tenure of the Congress government.
