TN within its right to implement Hogenakkal project, says Duraimurugan

Tamil Nadu has rights both on legal and humanitarian grounds to implement the second phase of the Hogenakkal Drinking Water Project, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said here on Saturday. Responding to his Karnataka counterpart Govind Karjol, Duraimurugan cited several aspects of the final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal including clause-18 and consumptive use and the Supreme Court judgment of February 16, 2018 to underscore that Tamil Nadu has rights to execute this project, which is essential for drinking water needs.

Karnataka Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol had on Friday said the state government would oppose the proposed water project at Hogenakkal and that Tamil Nadu cannot take it up unilaterally.

In a statement, Duraimurugan said Tamil Nadu has rights both on legal and humanitarian grounds to implement the Hogenakkal project's second phase. ''The Cauvery-Hogenakkal project's second phase will be implemented for sure,'' the Tamil Nadu Minister said, hours after Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced an all-party meeting in February to discuss inter-state water disputes. 

On January 20, Chief Minister M K Stalin had said that the Tamil Nadu government would prepare a detailed project report to implement the second phase of the Hogenakkal combined drinking water project for Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts at an estimated cost of Rs 4,600 crore.

The first phase of the Hogenakkal project, for drinking water supply and fluorosis mitigation was implemented during the 2006-11 DMK regime.