Not even a single brick can be laid for Mekedatu Dam without TN's consent: Duraimurugan

CHENNAI: State Water Resource Minister Duraimurugan on Thursday said the neighbouring Karnataka government cannot lay a single brick to build Mekedatu dam across Cauvery without the consent of Tamil Nadu government.

"Our government is committed to protect the rights of the state. It will fight tooth and nail to stop it (Mekedatu project). Kerala and Puducherry are also against the project, " the minister said while responding to Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, who flagged the Mekedatu issue during the Zero Hour.

Palaniswami criticised the DMK government for not passing a resolution in the assembly against the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for taking up the Mekedatu dam project issue for discussion during its meeting on February 1, and staged a walk out from the House along with party MLAs, while Duraimurugan dubbed it as a "drama".

Before staging a walk out from the House, Palaniswamy charged that the DMK regime was "intentionally lethargic" towards the 50 year-old inter-state water dispute over sharing of Cauvery Water, which is the line for 20 districts for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Farmers in delta region were "shocked and agitated" over the TN government's approach towards the issue, he said and wondered why the officials of the TN government participated in the meeting of the CWMA, which took up the Mekedatu issue in the agenda in its 28th meeting.

He further said that they were kept in darkness regarding the meeting and what transpired in it, besides the communication between the CWMA and the Cauvery Water Commission (CWC). He pointed out the Karnataka government's budget allocation for Mekedatu dam and said TN would "turn into desert", if Karnataka succeed in its attempt.

Responding to the series of charges, Duraimurugan explained in detail the chain of events pre and post meeting of the CWMA. The Karnataka government "slyly" included the Meketadu Balancing Reservior project in the agenda in CWMA meeting. "Except Karnataka, the other members, including the representative of the Union government, opposed to it and the same has been recorded in the minutes of the meeting, " said the minister.

However, the facts were misinterpreted in the communication between the CWMA and the CWC. "Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu (Shiv Das Meena) responded immediately after we came to know and wrote a letter to the chairperson of CWMA. The issue has also been escalated to the Union Government and the CWC, " he said.

Pointing out the fund allocation for the Mekedatu project by the Congress Government in Karnataka, he said it was not new and they would not succeed. "This became a routine to any government in power there, " he said.

He also mentioned that it was the DMK regime's efforts that resulted in appointing Chairperson for the CWMA to implement the Supreme Court's final verdict over the Cauvery Water dispute.

Intervening, Palaniswami recalled the party MPs stalling the Parliament proceedings for 22 days over the issue to implement the SC's verdict and filed a contempt of court in the Apex Court against the CWC that stopped the authorities from venturing into the issue any further until the AIADMK was in power. He questioned what stops the DMK regime to explore legal action against the authority?

Duraimurugan said that there were four cases filed in the SC over the issue, while State Law Minister S Regupathy retorted that the AIADMK stalled the Parliament for 22 days (in 2018) to safeguard the BJP government and used the Cauvery Water dispute to camouflage their motive.

On BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan's remark that DMK should hold talks with its ally (Congress) to end this issue, Duraimurugan said that they spoke enough over the issue and are unwilling to continue it anymore whoever it may be.

MLAs G K Mani of PMK, Thalli T Ramachandran of CPI, T Velmurugan of TVK, and Prof M H Jawahirullah also spoke during the call attention motion regarding the issue.