Bengaluru: In retaliation to the Tamil Nadu’s (TN) Assembly resolution opposing Mekedatu Drinking Water Project along Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border,  the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution strongly condemning the TN resolution and reiterated that the State Government is committed to implement the project.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai presented the resolution in the Assembly which was passed unanimously. The resolution also urged the Central Agencies not to approve the illegal projects of TN till the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of River Linking is approved by Karnataka.

Pointing out that TN Assembly on Mar. 21 in a resolution, had opposed the Karnataka’s Mekedatu Project, the resolution passed by the Karnataka Assembly said that it has also taken note of the many illegal projects being planned unilaterally by TN Government. Stating that Mekedatu project is in no way detrimental to the interests of TN, CM Bommai informed that Mekedatu Project is proposed to provide 24 TMC of drinking water (4.75 TMC for consumptive use) as allotted by the Supreme Court after modifying Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and also to produce Hydro-Electric power and added that Karnataka has the Constitutional authority to implement the project.

The resolution says that the Mekedatu Project is in line with the National Water Policy which gives priority to drinking water and the implementation of the  project is also not in violation of Water Tribunal’s directive in any way.

Using the surplus Cauvery water from Karnataka, the TN Government has proposed to take up many illegal projects unilaterally. These projects include Kunda-PSP, Sillahally-PSP, Hogenkal-Phase1, Cauvery (Hattale) Vaigai-Gundar linking. The resolution passed by the State Assembly also demanded that the Peninsular River Development Project under which surplus Godavari water is linked to join the Cauvery-Krishna-Pennar-Vaigai-Gundar Project should not be approved till the water share of States including Karnataka is decided.

 TN wants Karnataka to seek its approval for the Mekedatu Project. But at the same time, it is going ahead with many illegal projects unilaterally displaying its duality. The resolution strongly condemned all such illegal projects and said that it would oppose them at all forums. The resolution also unanimously urged the Central Water Commission to approve the DPR of Mekedatu Project so that it can get the subsequent approval of Environment and Forest Ministries.

Resolutions

1. The resolution strongly condemns the resolution passed by TN Assembly opposing Mekedatu Project even though the project does not affect that State in anyway.

2. The resolution urges the Central Water Commission, Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to give immediate approval to Mekedatu Project.

3. The resolution demands that the Central Agencies should not approve the project of linking Godavari-Krishana- Pennar-Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar Rivers till the water share of all stakeholders including Karnataka is decided.

  It may be recalled that Chief Minister Bommai in his maiden Budget speech had announced in the Assembly that he has reserved an amount of Rs.1,000 crore for the implementation of Mekedatu project. The Congress party also took out a padayatra in two phases demanding the implementation of Mekedatu project.

JD (S) supports State’s  resolution Former Chief Minister and JD (S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy has said that his party fully supports the resolution passed by the State Assembly condemning the controversial resolution passed by the TN Assembly. He also urged the State Government to get approval of Union Environment and Forest Ministry and start the work on Mekedatu project at the earliest. There is a BJP Government at the Centre and the State Government should display commitment to implement the project, he added.