Tamil Nadu assembly passes resolution against Karnataka's Mekedatu dam project

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution moved by chief minister C Joseph Vijay, objecting to the proposal of the Karnataka government for constructing a ₹9,000 crore balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu.

The resolution urged the Union government not to grant any approval, including technical and environmental clearances, to the Mekedatu project.

The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court have observed that the Cauvery basin is a deficit basin and that the total available water in the basin has already been apportioned among the basin states. Therefore, no new project can be undertaken in the Cauvery basin, nor can any additional quantity of water be utilised, the resolution said.


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"This august House records its strong objection to the unilateral attempt of the Karnataka government to construct a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu without respecting the final award given by Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on February 5, 2007, and the Supreme Court judgment on February 16, 2018, without obtaining the concurrence of the concerned basin States, and without securing any approval from the Union government," the resolution said.

The chief minister said that safeguarding the state's water rights was a collective responsibility.