Construction of dam at Mekedatu will never be possible, minister says

Karnataka Water Resources and Rural Development Minister N. Anand said on Thursday that the state of Karnataka will never be able to build a dam on the Kaveri river at Mekedatu. According to a report by The Hindu, Minister Anand made this clarification when journalists at Tiruchirappalli airport drew his attention to the recent statement made by Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had earlier stated that the state of Karnataka does not require permission from Tamil Nadu to build the dam and that they will definitely push the project forward. Questioning this matter, Minister Anand said that even if Shivakumar continues to claim that BJP leaders are also supporting this project, such a thing will never happen.

Amidst this controversy, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has also raised objections to the comments made by Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar. According to a report by India Today, Palaniswami opposed the statement that permission is not required for the Karnataka dam project. He reminded of the steps taken to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu during his tenure in power in 2017-18. He had attempted to persuade the Central Government not to grant approval to the Karnataka Government for the Mekedatu project.

Palaniswami also criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. He stated that Vijay is failing to protect the interests of the state and is maintaining silence on this matter. Palaniswami referred to a Supreme Court judgement which, during the AIADMK government, ordered Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC of water every month into Tamil Nadu's Mettur Dam. Although Vijay had opposed this move by writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Palaniswami has raised questions regarding his silence.

Minister N. Anand also met with Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil at Tiruchirappalli. According to a report by The Hindu, both leaders discussed the status of projects under the ongoing Jal Jeevan Mission for rural water supply and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan for water conservation and groundwater recharge. They also participated in a regional conference regarding the implementation of projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, as well as officials from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, were present at this conference.

Additionally, Minister Anand also made a courtesy visit to Upper Anicut (Mukkombu). He discussed the operation and maintenance of the barrage with Chief Engineer of the Kaveri River Division A. Jayakumari, Assistant Executive Engineer V. Dinesh Kannan, and other senior officials. The Minister stated that the state government has sanctioned ₹126 crore for the rejuvenation of the damaged apron and barrage on the Kaveri river at Mukkombu. This protective apron and barrage structure had suffered heavy damage during the heavy floods in the Kaveri river in 2021 and 2022. It was also informed that this rejuvenation work will commence shortly.