‘Don’t know if Karnataka raises Mekadatu row for political reasons’

CHENNAI: State irrigation minister Duraimurugan said that he does not know if the Karnataka government raises the Mekadatu Dam row occasionally out of political compulsion.

Duraimurugan also asserted that the Tamil Nadu government was making all efforts to get its due share of Cauvery water from Karnataka.

Reacting to Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami's criticism on water release for delta irrigation, Duraimurugan who consulted Chief Minister M K Stalin on the vexed water dispute at the state secretariat Monday, said, "The Karnataka government has made it a practice to raise the Mekadatu Dam row every now and then. Don't know if it is due to political compulsion. Whatever, Tamil Nadu government would never permit the construction of Mekadatu Dam."

Expressing regret at Karnataka deputy CM D K Shivakumar reportedly seeking permission for the dam during his recent meeting with the union irrigation minister, Duraimurugan said, "The Mekadatu dam proposed by Karnataka violates the Supreme Court judgement."

Citing the strong objections raised by Stalin to Mekadatu dam in his earlier letters to the PM, Duraimurugan said that owing to repeated objections raised by TN, the Mekadatu issue was not taken up in the February 10, April 11 and June 16 2023 meetings of the CMB.

Assuring to advance strong arguments before the SC in the next hearing, the minister said that the TN government would defeat Karnataka's attempts to construct the dam and 'we' (political parties in TN) must stay united on the issue.

Efforts on to receive due share of Cauvery water from Karnataka

Assuring that the TN government would make all efforts to receive a rightful share of Cauvery water from Karnataka as per the SC verdict, Duraimurugan said that the TN irrigation secretary has urged the CMB chairman at the board's meeting held on June 16 to ensure the same.

Adding that the state irrigation secretary has also attracted attention of Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority in the June 30 meeting to the shortfall in supply to TN for June, he said that that the secretary, in his July 3 dated letter to the CMB chairman, has also urged the CMB chairman to make good the deficit for June and release stipulated quantum of water to TN for July.