BENGALURU: The Karnataka assembly on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution condemning a similar motion by the Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday, against Karnataka’s decision to go ahead with the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project across the river Cauvery.
“Despite the project having no adverse impact on Tamil Nadu, that state passed a resolution opposing the project, which the Karnataka assembly condemns. Karnataka will also urge the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to give immediate permission to implement the project,” CM Basavaraj Bommai said, proposing the resolution.
“Until a decision on justifiable share of water between the states, the DPR of the Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar river linking project should not be cleared, without Karnataka’s consent. Approval should not be given for implementation of the project,” he stated.
The resolution, passed unanimously with the support of the opposition Congress and JDS, urged Central institutions not to approve Tamil Nadu’s “illegal projects” and to direct that state not to pursue them. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, though, felt that Bommai should have consulted the opposition while drafting the resolution to condemn Tamil Nadu’s resolution.
JDS leaders approve resolution against TN
JDS leaders Bandeppa Kashempur and HD Revanna readily gave their approval for the resolution. The House took into consideration Tamil Nadu’s resolution which was not in “decent language” and the projects it had undertaken.
The Supreme Court had allocated 177.25 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu, and 24tmcft of water to Bengaluru to meet its drinking water needs, including 4.75 tmcft for consumptive use. The Mekedatu drinking water and balancing reservoir has been planned to achieve sustainability and generate electricity, and will not affect Tamil Nadu in any way, Bommai explained.
The National Water Policy stresses that priority should be given to drinking water, and the project does not violate the Cauvery River Water Tribunal order, he added. Tamil Nadu has taken up projects such as Kunda PSP, Sillahalla PSP, Hogenakkal Phase-II, Cauvery (Kattalai)- Vaigai-Gundar river linking illegally, he pointed out.
Senior Congress leader H K Patil felt that Bommai should have restricted the resolution to the Mekedatu project alone, and not included the Peninsular River Development project, as it amounts to accepting a project which is detrimental to Karnataka. “It results in lifting of Almatti dam water to Tungabhadra dam, which will help the neighbouring state, while Karnataka will lose its share.
Hence, we have been opposing the project since late JH Patel’s tenure as chief minister,” he remarked. Following this, Bommai gave his consent to an amendment, to urge the Centre not to give approval for “illegal projects” of Tamil Nadu.