Amid the political controversy over the Mekedatu project on the Cauvery river in Tamil Nadu, TVK leader and State Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjun has defended the government. He has accused DMK President and former Chief Minister MK Stalin of misleading people and presenting wrong facts.
On MK Stalin’s allegations, Minister Aadhav Arjun said the government has consistently taken legal, administrative and political measures to protect its fair share in the Cauvery waters. He said the government’s approach was to protect the interests of delta farmers, ensure safety of drinking water and prevent Karnataka from going ahead with the proposed Mekedatu Reservoir project without due process.
The minister said Chief Minister Joseph Vijay had personally raised Tamil Nadu’s objections during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 27. During the discussion, the Chief Minister urged the Center to implement the final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal and the Supreme Court’s February 16, 2018 judgment, and strongly opposed any clearance for the Mekedatu project.
According to Aadhav, when reports emerged that Karnataka was preparing to perform the bhoomi pujan for the proposed reservoir, the Chief Minister wrote a letter to the Prime Minister on June 19 reiterating the state government’s stand.
It was mentioned in the letter that the project cannot be approved without the consent of all the concerned states (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry). In this letter, the Center was requested to issue appropriate instructions to the Jal Shakti Ministry and the Central Water Commission.
Aadhav also pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Mekedatu project and had sent it to the Prime Minister, seeking immediate intervention.
He said the state has consistently presented its case before the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, demanding timely release of its share of water allocated to Tamil Nadu and also objecting to Karnataka’s unilateral steps.
Responding to DMK’s criticism, Aadhav alleged that the previous government had failed to effectively protect the interests of Tamil Nadu after adverse developments in the Supreme Court. He claimed that resolving the Cauvery and Mekedatu disputes had become more difficult due to legal shortcomings during the tenure of the previous government.
Terming the Cauvery issue as a matter of fundamental rights of Tamil Nadu rather than political rivalry, the minister said every constitutional and legal avenue available to protect the state’s water rights will continue to be used. Also, he said that the government is open to constructive criticism provided it is aimed at protecting the long-term interests of Tamil Nadu.
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