BENGALURU: Advocate General (AG) Ravivarma Kumar’s opinion that the state would face no legal hurdle in implementing the Mekedatu project has come as a shot in the arm for the state government.
According to official sources, the AG had conveyed this to the state government recently. In his report, the AG has said that with the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal already notified by the Centre, the riparian states concerned are within their rights to utilise the extent of water allocated by the Tribunal to them.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is keen on implementing the project, had sought the AG’s opinion on the possibilities of any legal hurdles, which may come in the way of Karnataka implementing the project.
Karnataka’s counsel on the Cauvery water dispute in Supreme Court, Fali S Nariman, had also given green signal for the project. With these clearances, the Water Resources Department has reportedly entrusted the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) a state government entity, to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposal.
Speaking to Express, Water Resources Minister M B Patil said, “We are within our statutory rights to go ahead with the drinking water project...there is no looking back on the proposal.”
Dismissing Tamil Nadu’s apprehensions, Patil said the project will not affect the quantum of water (192 tmc ft) that the state needs to release to Tamil Nadu during a normal year.
“Tamil Nadu, in its letter to the state, had objected to the project....it had said that the state should inform the Supreme Court before taking up any project in the Cauvery basin.... since the issue is in its nascent stage we will inform the Apex court once the project materialises,” he added. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal gave its final order in 2007, allocating 270 tmc ft of water to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu (419 tmc ft), Kerala (30 tmc ft) and Puducherry (7 tmc ft).
It had also said that in a distress year, the allocated shares shall be proportionately reduced among the riparian states.