Mekedatu unites all parties against TN

NT Correspondent

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday adopted an unanimous resolution condemning the Tamil Nadu government for trying to obstruct the implementation of the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project to provide drinking water to people of Bengaluru.

The resolution also urged the Union government not to give assent to any projects initiated by neighbouring TN and to give approval to the Detailed Project Report(DPR) of the Mekedatu project besides according early clearance of the Union ministry of forests and environment for speedy execution of the project.

The House also demanded that the Central government must not go ahead with river linking projects without taking the consent of the states concerned on the DPR of the said project. The rightful share of Karnataka must be decided without which the DPR must not be finalised.

By moving a condemnation resolution, the TN government has displayed its anti-federal attitude and had gone against the principles of democracy. It is unfortunate that the TN government has opposed the Mekedatu project despite being told several times that the balancing reservoir on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border was only aimed at storing additional water after releasing 177 tmc ft of water to TN as stipulated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. The counsel for TN in the Cauvery River Authority Board had stated that they did not have any objection if Karnataka took up the Mekedatu project. This project will in no way affect the release of water to TN every year, the resolution contended.

The TN government has unilaterally taken up projects like Kunda PSP, Sillahalla PSP, Hogenakkal Stage-2 and linking of Cauvery (Kattalai- Vaigai-Gundar). The Union government must not give permission for these projects, the House said.

The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and was seconded by all members unanimously