CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday strongly registered its protest in the Cauvery water management authority against taking up the agenda on Karnataka government’s plan to construct Mekedatu reservoir just ahead of the inter-state border, Biligundulu, since the matter was subjudice. The authority ordered Karnataka to comply with the Supreme Court’s order and release 9.19tmcft for the month of June and 31.24tmcft in July.
The meeting assumes significance in the wake of Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddiyurappa openly announcing that his government will construct the reservoir after the sanction of the Union government. The Karnataka government’s application before the environment ministry was pending approval. “The government of Karnataka should stall its attempts to build a reservoir and it should not be allowed to do any preliminary work,” an official statement quoting PWD secretary Sandeep Saxena said. The authority deferred the agenda following the objection, as was the case in the previous meetings ever since Karnataka submitted its detailed project report for approval last year.
Apparently, the meeting discussed the recent order of the National Green Tribunal order that disposed of its suo moto proceedings on Karnataka’s preparatory work in the dam site. “The authority took note of the NGT orders of the southern as well as principal benches’ orders. The subject has been deferred since it was widely felt that it was not possible to discuss the issue in detail and a physical meeting will do justice. It was unanimously agreed,” a source in the authority said.
