CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan will meet Union Jal Sakthi Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi on Wednesday to request the centre not to give permission to the Karnataka government to build a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu. The minister may also take up the issue of failure by Karnataka to release full quota of Cauvery water for the month of June to Tamil Nadu and the need to release the water due for July immediately.
Meanwhile, the minister, in a statement issued in Chennai on Monday, said the Karnataka government’s plan to build the dam at Mekedatu is against the verdict of the Supreme Court and the Union Jal Sakthi ministry has repeatedly said the approval for the project will not be given by the centre without the consent of Tamil Nadu. Duraimurugan also pointed out that cases filed by Tamil Nadu are pending before the Supreme Court. When these cases come up for hearing, Tamil Nadu will put forth strong arguments before the court to thwart Karnataka’s attempts to build the dam, the minister said.
Will lead ‘Go back Stalin’ agitation: Annamalai
The minister said there are reports that Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar discussed the Mekedatu issue with Jal Sakthi minister on June 30. “This is unfortunate since Karnataka’s plan is violative of the SC verdict and Chief Minister MK Stalin, during his earlier meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had urged him not to allow Karnataka to build the dam.
The issue was also not taken up for discussion during the CWMA meetings held on February 10, April 11, and June 16, Duraimurugan said. Over the past few days, opposition parties (AIADMK, BJP and PMK) have been criticising the DMK government on the issue.
On Monday, BJP state president K Annamalai said the CM would be compromising on the state’s rights if he takes part in the opposition parties’ meeting in Bengaluru in the wake of Karnataka’s stand to build the dam. “Stalin has the right to attend the meeting but when he returns to Tamil Nadu, I will lead a ‘Go back Stalin’ agitation,” Annamalai said.
‘DKS meet with Jal Sakthi minister unfortunate’
Chennai: Duraimurugan said there are reports that DK Shivakumar discussed the Mekedatu issue with the Jal Sakthi minister on June 30. “This is unfortunate since Karnataka’s plan is violative of the SC verdict and Chief Minister MK Stalin, during his meetings with PM, had urged him not to allow Karnataka to build the dam.”