- TN Congress slams Karnataka CM over Mekedatu Dam.
- Shivakumar urges Centre to expedite dam clearances.
- .Dispute highlights federalism and farmer livelihood concerns.
It's now Congress versus Congress over a dam issue. While Karnataka is supporting the Mekedatu Dam on the Cauvery River, the Tamil Nadu government is opposing the proposal. The matter gained renewed attention on Saturday after Tamil Nadu Congress President Manickam Tagore slammed Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar on his remarks on the Cauvery dispute. He claimed that the Karnataka CM has undertaken a “stubborn decision" which is eventually clashing with the interest of the Tamil farmers and is “utterly unacceptable".
What did the Karnataka CM say?
The Karantaka CM on Friday urged the Centre to expedite its statutory clearances for the Mekedatu Dam project. Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, DK Shivakumar, claimed that the apex has delivered a clear verdict in favour of the state. “Mekedatu has to be built in Karnataka, and no one can stop it. We want you to help us legally," the Karnataka Chief Minister had said.
Manickam Hits Back
To this, the Tamil Nadu Congress President shared a hard-hitting post on X. Tagore lashed out at Shivakumar, saying his remarks disregarded the Supreme Court's ruling and the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. In the post, he wrote, 'It is deeply condemnable that Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mysuru, said, "No one can stop the construction of a dam at Mekedatu," and that the central government must give its final approval for it.”
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"The Karnataka Chief Minister continues to adopt a stubborn stance, blatantly violating the Supreme Court ruling and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award. This statement, which goes against the principle of federalism and seeks to destroy the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu's farmers, is utterly unacceptable," Tagore added.
Tagore further argued that Karnataka, being an upper-riparian state, could not independently take up a project that could affect the water rights of Tamil Nadu, which is situated downstream in the Cauvery River basin. He also urged the Centre not to grant any clearance for the proposed dam without obtaining the consent of the lower-riparian states.Tagore asserted that granting approval for the Mekedatu project without Tamil Nadu's consent is not just illegal but will also affect Tamil Nadu’s delta districts," he said. According to Manickam it was the Centre’s "responsibility" to "prevent Karnataka from laying even a single brick at Mekedatu".
"On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Congress, we will never allow this project; we will go to any lengths to fight to protect our state's rights," he said.
The Disagreement Continues
Karnataka CM hit back on Saturday, saying that the Mekedatu Dam construction work could not be halted and that Manicked knew half the facts. "No one can stop the construction of a dam at Mekedatu. It is the duty of Manickam Tagore to protect his state. But he doesn't know the actual facts. If he comes to Karnataka with his delegation, I will take him to the dam site and show that it is in their interest," the CM stated.
The TVK government has also criticised Shivakumar's remarks, with Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar accusing the Karnataka CM of making controversial statements ahead of every election. "He (DK Shivakumar) makes such controversial remarks before every election. The TVK government and CM Vijay will never allow the Mekedatu project. We have filed petitions before the court. Compared to previous governments, we are taking stronger legal steps. They cannot even lay a single brick for the Mekedatu project because they do not have forest approval or environmental clearance," Kumar said.
The argument intensified after the Opposition DMK stretched the dispute against the Vijay-headed government after Shivakumar's Friday assertion. Former chief minister MK Stalin urged the state government "to take the necessary action on the Cauvery issue, which is a matter of life and death for Tamil Nadu, rather than remaining silent any longer". The DMK has also demanded an all-party meeting on the issue.
The proposed reservoir, situated in the Ramanagara district, aims to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of power, with Karnataka assuring that Tamil Nadu's allocated share of Cauvery water will not be compromised. The Tamil Nadu government, however, continues to strongly oppose the project, citing concerns over water sharing, while Shivakumar maintains Karnataka will proceed with its preparations to submit a revised Detailed Project Report