Chennai, July 1: PMK President Ambumani Ramadas initiated a statewide awareness march on Wednesday, starting from Billigundulu in Dharmapuri district to the historic town of Poompuhar. This march intensifies his party’s campaign against the proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery River.
While flagging off the march, Ambumani labeled the project as a serious threat to Tamil Nadu‘s water security, agriculture, and environment. He urged the state government to strengthen legal efforts to halt the dam’s construction.
Addressing reporters, he stated that the primary goal of this campaign is to gather public opinion against the proposed reservoir in the Cauvery Delta and other areas dependent on the river.
He accused Karnataka’s plan of severely impacting the flow of the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu, jeopardizing irrigation, drinking water supply, and the livelihoods of millions.
Describing the Cauvery River as the lifeline of Tamil Nadu, Ambumani emphasized that over five crore people in the state rely directly or indirectly on this river for agriculture, industry, and domestic use.
He warned that if the Mekedatu dam is built, the already limited flow of water to Tamil Nadu could diminish further, exacerbating water scarcity in several districts.
Rejecting Karnataka’s argument that the project primarily addresses Bengaluru’s drinking water needs, Ambumani asserted that the city’s requirements could be met with significantly less water.
He expressed concerns that the proposed 70 TMC reservoir might ultimately be used for irrigation, allowing Karnataka to retain more water upstream and adversely affecting the flow to Tamil Nadu downstream.
The PMK leader also raised environmental concerns, noting that the proposed reservoir area includes approximately 12,500 acres of dense forest, which serves as habitat for elephants, tigers, and various other wildlife species.
He mentioned that environmental activists in Karnataka have also opposed the project, urging authorities to reconsider it on ecological grounds.
Ambumani accused previous governments in Karnataka of failing to adhere to commitments regarding the sharing of Cauvery water. He called on the Tamil Nadu government to explore every possible legal avenue to stop the project.
He reiterated his opposition to the state government’s proposal for a new Cauvery tribunal, stating that the existing tribunal framework is sufficient.
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