Tamil Nadu Assembly has moved a unanimous resolution strongly opposing Karnataka’s proposed Mekadatu Project across the Cauvery River. Moving the resolution, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay urged all members of the House to extend unanimous support to the motion.
The Chief Minister asserted that the Mekadatu Project violated the existing legal provisions and would adversely impact the rights of Tamil Nadu over Cauvery waters. Citing the Final Award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Judgement of the Supreme Court in 2018, any move should be carried out after obtaining due concurrence of the concerned basin States and the approval from the Union Government.
The resolution urged the Centre to deny all approvals required for the project and not grant any form of approval, including technical and environmental clearances, to the Project. The resolution also pointed out that the Cauvery basin is a deficit basin and depends on the water sharing agreement, which is already in place. The resolution also stressed that no new project could be undertaken in the Cauvery Basin, nor can any additional quantity of water be utilised.
The Tamil Nadu Government also sought intervention from the Central Water Commission, urging it not to process Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report to safeguard the interests of the farmers in the State.
