Palaniswami Criticizes Karnatakas Stance on Mekedatu Project, Targets Tamil Nadu Government

Chennai, November 11 (Daily Kiran) : Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the general secretary of the AIADMK, has strongly opposed Karnataka’s stance on the proposed Mekedatu reservoir project on the Cauvery River. He expressed his discontent with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s statement, which claimed that Tamil Nadu’s permission was not required for the project.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Palaniswami accused the Karnataka government of misleading the public regarding the legal status of the project. He emphasized that the Supreme Court has not granted unconditional approval for the construction of the reservoir.

During his tenure as Chief Minister, Palaniswami stated that he had met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi multiple times between 2017 and 2018 to voice his opposition to the Mekedatu project. He urged the central government not to grant Karnataka the necessary legal and administrative approvals for the initiative.

Palaniswami criticized the current government led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for failing to respond effectively to Karnataka’s attempts to advance the project, labeling them as mere bystanders.

He warned that if the project proceeds, it could negatively impact agriculture in the Cauvery Delta region. Palaniswami called for strong intervention to protect Tamil Nadu’s water rights and the interests of its farmers.

The controversy resurfaced following Shivakumar’s comments made in Hassan on Sunday, where he asserted that Karnataka requires cooperation, not permission, from Tamil Nadu to implement the Mekedatu project. He claimed that the project would also benefit Tamil Nadu and invited state representatives to visit the project site for discussions.

According to Shivakumar, the primary goal of the project is to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and its surrounding areas. He reiterated Karnataka’s commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities regarding the sharing of Cauvery water.

Shivakumar also referenced ongoing Supreme Court proceedings to support his position, although he acknowledged that environmental and forest clearances are still necessary for the project.

This discussion follows Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s letter to Prime Minister Modi expressing opposition to the Mekedatu initiative.

The proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir aims to store 67.16 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water, which would not only supply drinking water to Bengaluru and nearby regions but also generate 400 megawatts of electricity.

While Karnataka describes it as a drinking water and power generation project, Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed it. The state argues that additional water storage in the upper reaches of the Cauvery River could reduce the amount of water reaching Tamil Nadu, adversely affecting irrigation and farmers.

The central issue in this dispute is whether the proposed water storage by Karnataka will impact the water availability for Tamil Nadu, particularly for farmers in the Cauvery Delta.