Taking action to prevent Mekadatu construction: Duraimurugan

CHENNAI: State Irrigation Minister Duraimurugan on Wednesday asserted that Tamil Nadu government was taking all necessary action to prevent the construction of Mekadatu Dam across the Cauvery River by Karnataka.

Replying to the debate on demand for grants for his department in the State Assembly, Duraimurugan said that the Government of Tamil Nadu was taking 'all necessary action" including legal action to prevent Karnataka from constructing a dam at Mekadatu or any other place in the Cauvery Basin of Karnataka in violation of the final order of the Cauvery disputes tribunal and the judgement of the Supreme Court to safeguard the rights of Tamil Nadu.

On the issue of Karnataka letting sewage into Cauvery and Pennaiyar rivers, Duraimurugan said that the data available in the final report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board to the Supreme Court has confirmed that the two rivers have been polluted by the discharge of sewage into them by Karnataka.

Citing the pendency of the case in the apex court, the State Irrigation Minister said that Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is collecting water samples from Cauvery and Pennaiyar rivers near the inter-state boundary to monitor water quality and the Central water commission is also collecting samples and monitoring the water quality of Cauvery River at Billigundulu.

Emphasising that the Mullaiperiyar dam was safe, the minister said that water level in the dam reached 142ft on November 21, 20I4 after 35 years and thereafter on December 7, 2015 and August 15, 2018. After the implementation of the ruler curve as finalised by the Central water commission, the water level had reached 142ft on November 31, 2021 for the fourth time since 2014 and remained thus for 18 days. "For the fifth time, the water level reached 142ft on December 27, 2022 and the dam is safe in all respects," he added.