BENGALURU: Parliament members from Karnataka on Thursday have decided to put up a united front to protect the state’s interest in the Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project in the Cauvery basin. The ministers have decided to stage a demonstration near the Gandhi statue in New Delhi on December 27 to protest against Tamil Nadu government’s opposition to the drinking water project.
On Thursday, MPs from the state discussed the project at Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda’s New Delhi residence and assured Tamil Nadu that it will not have any adverse impact on its share of water. The meeting was attended by 33 MPs, including members of Rajya Sabha. Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Ananth Kumar Hegde, former PM H D Deve Gowda, senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge were among those who attended the meeting.
“We are committed to implementing the project and we have already made it clear to Tamil Nadu that it is a drinking water project. Tamil Nadu is unnecessarily politicising the project and they are not even giving us time for a meeting to clear their misconceptions,” said Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar. The minister’s request for an appointment to meet the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to discuss the project was turned down.
Shivakumar said the central government had looked at all aspects of the project before allowing Karnataka to prepare a detailed project report (DPR). He said the project will help both the states. Shivakumar, who briefed the MPs about the project details, sought their help to protect the state’s interests in the inter-state river water disputes. Deve Gowda, Kharge and other senior leaders discussed strategies to counter Tamil Nadu’s stand on the project.