BENGALURU: Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday said that the NDA MPs from Karnataka will persuade PM Narendra Modi to get the Union Government’s permission to implement the Mekedatu project, which will help store surplus Cauvery water, which otherwise will flow into the Bay of Bengal. Speaking after launching the BJP-JDS padayatra at Kengeri in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said that he, along with other Union ministers from Karnataka, will take up the issue with the PM. Kumaraswamy represents Mandya in the Lok Sabha. Kumaraswamy referred to an article published in TNIE — ‘TN farmers demand steps to store surplus Cauvery water’—that farmers in TN are demanding that their government take measures to store the surplus water that emptied into the sea after the Mettur dam overflowed.
“Here we have an article published in The New Indian Express that the people of Karnataka should understand. If the Congress leaders have guts, they should go to TN and discuss with CM MK Stalin (to convince him to not object to the Mekedatu project),” he said.
“Mettur dam filled to the brim in a week. Surplus water is flowing into the sea. During 2018-19, 600 tmcft was released to TN. This time, the people of Karnataka have given BJP and JDS some strength. We will persuade PM Modi legally. But it does not mean that we are meting out injustice to TN. I want to tell the TN CM that we should live like brothers in a federal system. How long should the people of Karnataka suffer because of your highhandedness? Kannadigas have given us strength to speak in the Lok Sabha to get us our justifiable share of water,” he added.