CHENNAI/BENGALURU: It was high drama at the crucial Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting held on Monday in New Delhi as Tamil Nadu strongly opposed the CWMA’s recent approval for Karnataka’s feasibility report on Mekedatu project inter-state Cauvery basin.
Karnataka has reason to cheer as the CWMA stood firm and refused to withdraw its permission.S K Prabhakar, Principal Secretary of Public Works Department, Tamil Nadu, and Rakesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, Karnataka, reportedly engaged in a war of words over the issue at the meeting.
After three hours of argument, CWMA chairman Syed Masood Husain, who is also the chairman of Central Water Commission which gave preliminary approval for Karnataka to prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR), refused to withdraw the permission. Hussain said Karnataka cannot be stopped from preparing a DPR. However, while considering the DPR the concerns raised by the Tamil Nadu will be taken into account, he said.
Reacting to Tamil Nadu’s objections and even steps to move the Supreme Court, Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar said, “We will reply to their objections. Tamil Nadu is also moving the Supreme Court against the project. We will reply to them once we receive the notice. We have to see the details of their objections.”
Shivakumar termed the project as more beneficial to Tamil Nadu than Karnataka and expressed the confidence of convincing Tamil Nadu about it. Speaking to the reporters after the CWMA meeting, Prabhakar, principal secretary, PWD, Tamil Nadu, said, “The Tamil Nadu government has strongly objected to the permission given by CWC to Karnataka without considering its genuine and justifiable objections and without obtaining concurrence of other co-basin states, which is in violation of the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the judgment of Supreme Court.”
Rakesh Singh of Karnataka submitted that Tamil Nadu has no locus standi to object to Mekedatu project. “Karnataka clearly stated that the project will only store the excess Cauvery water and will not cause any impediment for Tamil Nadu’s share of water.”
Tamil Nadu told the CWMA that Karnataka has been allocated an additional quantity of 14.75 tmcft of water by the Supreme Court by reducing Tamil Nadu’s share. If any new storage structure is permitted in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu will not be able to get its due share of water as per monthly schedule even in normal years, it said.
“If the new reservoir is allowed to be constructed, the free intermediate flow now received between Krishnaraja Sagar, Kabini and Biligundulu which Tamil Nadu is getting will be affected. This will deprive Tamil Nadu of receiving the monthly flows for irrigation in the crucial months from June to September,” the TN government said.