CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging Karnataka’s renewed attempts to build the controversial Mekedatu dam across the inter-State Cauvery river. The case is likely to be heard next week.
The petition sought a stay on the operation of approval given by Central Water Commission (CWC) on November 22 to Cauvery Neervari Nigam, Bengaluru, to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR).
SK Prabakar, principal secretary, Public Works Department, TN, in the petition, said permission from CWC was contrary to the February 16, 2018 SC judgment.
“As per the judgment, the upper riparian State shall not take any action so as to affect scheduled deliveries of water to the lower riparian State. Thus, Karnataka is prevented from taking any suo motu action which will affect the lower riparian State,” he said.
He said CWC ought to have advised Karnataka to get the concurrence of TN and other co-basin States. Cauvery being a deficit basin, construction of Mekedatu or any other project in Karnataka would drastically affect the lower riparian State in getting due share of water.
After a Screening Committee examined the pre-feasibility report of Mekedatu project on October 24 in CWC and sought comments, TN Chief Secretary, in an October 31 letter, placed on record detailed objections, he said.
But, Project Appraisal Directorate of CWC, without considering the objections, conveyed to Cauvery Neervari Nigam it could go ahead with the preparation of DPR.
“In the PFR, there is no justification for the proposed huge storage of 67 tmcft. Cauvery Waters Disputes Tribunal, while analysing the storage capacities in the Cauvery basin, has stated there is a total gross storage space of 330 tmcft, which is about 42 per cent of the total yield of 740 tmcft, and concluded that the existing storage would be adequate for storing and distributing water to the lower riparian States as per the monthly schedule. Thus, there is no need for any new storage structure. Therefore, the stand of Karnataka and CWC that the main objective of the Mekedatu reservoir is to implement the Tribunal’s Award is a ploy to appropriate the water to maximum extent possible, as an upper riparian State,” Prabhakar said in the petition.
On the invitation of Karnataka for talks on the issue, Tamil Nadu Law Minister CV Shanmugam told reporters in New Delhi that there was no question of holding any talks with Karnataka.
“We will not allow construction of this project and will fight it legally. Lakhs of farmers in Tamil Nadu will lose their livelihood, if Mekedatu dam is constructed.”
Tamil Nadu prayed the Supreme Court to direct Karnataka to maintain status quo till the disposal of the civil appeal. Already, a similar appeal filed in 2014 is pending before the Supreme Court.