Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 30 (ANI): PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday criticised reports that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay may travel to Karnataka for talks on the Mekedatu dam project, warning that any such visit would be “highly detrimental” to the state’s interests.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai International Airport before leaving for Delhi, Ramadoss also challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying the PMK was prepared to walk out of the NDA if Gandhi spoke out against the dam.
Ramadoss said, “If the Chief Minister travels to Karnataka to hold talks on the Mekedatu dam issue, it will be highly detrimental to Tamil Nadu. We do not accept the Mekedatu dam project, nor have we approved it. Therefore, there is no meaning in holding discussions over a project that has never been accepted. Instead, the discussions should be with the Union Government. The Centre must be pressured to withdraw the Detailed Project Report and ensure that the Mekedatu dam is not constructed,” he said.
He claimed that Karnataka has continuously refused to release Cauvery water despite directions from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.
“There are currently 62 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of water stored in Karnataka’s reservoirs. Despite the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directing Karnataka twice to release water, the state has refused, claiming there is no water to release. What is the point of holding talks with a government that refuses to release water even after such directions?” he asked, adding that Tamil Nadu could face drinking water shortages if the dam were built.
Ramadoss urged Vijay to convene an all-party meeting, framing the issue as one concerning the entire state rather than any single party.
“Even before constructing the Mekedatu dam, Karnataka is refusing to release water. If the dam is built, Tamil Nadu may not even have sufficient drinking water. It would be a grave mistake for the Chief Minister to visit Karnataka. He should first convene an all-party meeting. This is not a TVK issue; it is an issue concerning the entire state of Tamil Nadu. Karnataka is taking the matter in a different direction. The Chief Minister must not fall into this trap. The BJP at the Centre and the Congress government in Karnataka are conspiring together on the Mekedatu issue. Neither Tamil Nadu nor its Chief Minister should become victims of this conspiracy, ” he said.
He further added, “This is the collective demand of farmers and the people of Tamil Nadu. In the past, struggles were held to secure Cauvery water, not to negotiate over the construction of the Mekedatu dam. If our stand is that the dam should not be built, what is the purpose of travelling to Karnataka for talks? The Chief Minister should avoid taking this wrong approach.”
He also referred to the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary’s statement in the Rajya Sabha, which he said falsely claimed that the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment did not require Karnataka to obtain Tamil Nadu’s consent before constructing a dam.
“In response to my question in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti falsely claimed that the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment nowhere states that Karnataka must obtain Tamil Nadu’s consent before constructing a dam. This is condemnable. I am discussing this matter with all MPs from Tamil Nadu in Delhi to ensure appropriate action is taken,” Ramadoss said.
He argued that the Supreme Court stated that the 1892 and 1924 agreements remain valid, and condemned teh Union Minister for his statement.
“The Supreme Court judgment clearly states that the 1892 and 1924 agreements have not been annulled and continue to remain valid even after Independence. Under these agreements, if an upstream state proposes any construction, it must obtain the consent of the downstream states. This is an internationally accepted principle governing rivers that flow across countries as well as rivers shared between Indian states. The Cauvery Tribunal’s award and the Supreme Court’s judgment are based on the same principle. We strongly condemn the Union Minister for making false statements,” he said.
Ramadoss also attacked Congress, questioning whether Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore would press Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi to take a public stand against the dam ahead of Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Chennai on August 1.
“Chief Minister Vijay may take us to meet the Prime Minister, and we are prepared to strongly present Tamil Nadu’s case before him. But does Manickam Tagore have the courage to persuade Rahul Gandhi to oppose the Mekedatu dam?,” said the PMK president.
“Rahul Gandhi opposed the destruction of forests in the Andaman Islands. Will he now oppose the destruction of forests and three tiger reserves that would result from the Mekedatu project? Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Chennai on August 1. Will he declare that the Mekedatu dam should not be built because it is against the interests of Tamil Nadu, its forests, and its farmers? Does Manickam Tagore have the courage to convey this to Rahul Gandhi?” he said.
He directly challenged Gandhi, saying, “Anyone can make speeches, but if Rahul Gandhi makes just one statement saying that the Mekedatu dam should not be built in Karnataka, we are prepared to withdraw from the NDA alliance.”
The issue comes amid renewed political exchanges between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery River. Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar has maintained that the project is within the state’s rights and argued that it would benefit Tamil Nadu as well.
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the proposed project on July 28, urging the Centre to safeguard the interests of the lower riparian states and ensure that any decision on the project is consistent with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) Award and the Supreme Court’s judgment on the Cauvery water dispute.
In the letter, Vijay referred to the reply given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti in the Rajya Sabha to an unstarred question on the Mekedatu project, which stated that the Supreme Court’s judgment dated February 16, 2018, does not expressly stipulate that Karnataka should obtain the consent of the lower riparian states before constructing a structure across the Cauvery River.
Separately, DMK president and former Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced that a major protest would be held in Thanjavur on August 3, led by Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, alleging that the ruling TVK government had failed farmers on issues including farm loan waiver, the Mekedatu dam project and the delayed opening of the Mettur Dam. (ANI)
Related reading
