The water dispute between the two neighboring states of South India, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, has once again flared up in the political circles. The tension between the two states is continuously increasing over the much awaited and controversial Mekedatu Dam Project proposed on the Kaveri River. Meanwhile, Karnataka government's chief minister and senior leader Priyank Kharge has given a very big and clear statement on this entire issue. Minister Priyank Kharge has bluntly said that the law is completely in favor of the state of Karnataka in this entire dispute of Mekedatu Dam Project. He also made it clear that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will have to strictly follow the instructions of the Supreme Court regarding the distribution of Cauvery water. After this statement, the politics of South India has once again heated up and sharp reactions have started coming from the opposition parties. Let us know in detail what Priyank Kharge has said in his statement and what is the background of this entire political and geographical dispute going on regarding the Mekedatu project. The law is completely in favor of Karnataka, Kharge said on the statements of leaders of the neighboring state. While talking to journalists and media persons in the capital Bengaluru, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge strongly presented the state government's side on the issue of Kaveri river. He said that the State Congress Committee (PCC) President of Tamil Nadu or other leaders there are making statements to protect the interests of their state and they are raising the voice of the farmers and people of their area to the best of their capacity. But equally, the PCC President of Karnataka, the Chief Minister and every single minister and leader of the state government are completely morally and constitutionally bound to protect the rights and interests of their state. Priyank Kharge further said that the judicial system is supreme, rising above personal thoughts or regional sentiments. The Supreme Court has already given clear instructions in this matter and as per the legal documents and provisions, the law is completely in favor of Karnataka. He expressed confidence that whatever decision ultimately comes out, it will benefit both the neighboring states in some way or the other. The minister also mentioned that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had already given full opportunity and offer to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to sit face to face and have cordial talks on this sensitive issue. He stressed that in the federal structure of the country, everyone will have to respect the law of the country and the orders of the apex court. BJP's attack on Congress, said-"Water rights are being used for political gains"
This sharp and aggressive statement of Priyank Kharge has come at a time when the main opposition party of the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has started targeting the Congress party from all sides regarding this project. BJP has made a serious and big allegation on Congress that it is adopting different and contradictory stands in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu only for political and electoral gains. Senior BJP leader and leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka (R. Ashoka) made a strong attack on the Congress government during a press conference on Sunday. He alleged that the Congress party in power in Karnataka is using the state's vital water rights for its own political interests and gains, while the irony is that his own party leaders and allies in Tamil Nadu are vehemently opposing the ambitious project. The opposition also says that instead of adopting a clear policy on this issue, the government is only making statements, due to which the people of the state are getting confused. What is the Mekedatu Project and why is there such a huge political controversy over it? It is very important for the general public and especially for those people to know what this Mekedatu Dam Project is and why bloodthirsty relations develop between the two states over it. Mekedatu Project is a proposed multipurpose balancing reservoir and hydroelectric project on the Kaveri River near Kanakapura in Bengaluru South district of Karnataka. The main and official objective of this entire project is to permanently meet the acute drinking water needs of Bengaluru city, known as the Silicon Valley of India, and its surrounding rural areas and at the same time generate environment-friendly hydroelectric power. The Karnataka government argues that when excess water flows into the Cauvery River during the monsoon and is wasted in the sea, this balancing reservoir can conserve that water so that the citizens of Bengaluru do not have to face drinking water crisis in the coming summers or droughts. Strong opposition from Tamil Nadu and the whole dispute over sharing of Cauvery river water On the other hand, the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu has strongly and vocally opposed the Mekedatu project from the very beginning. The Tamil Nadu government and the agricultural organizations there argue that if the Karnataka government builds this big reservoir on the Kaveri river, it will control the natural flow of the river. They believe that its implementation will have an adverse impact on the supply of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu's fixed share and its agricultural areas. Farmers in the delta regions of Tamil Nadu say their paddy cultivation and livelihoods are completely dependent on Cauvery water, and they may face huge devastation if the flow of water is stopped. There has been a legal, political and geographical tussle between the two states for decades regarding this basic point. After this latest statement of Priyank Kharge, it will be very interesting to see what new turn this matter takes in the scope of the Supreme Court in the coming days and what common solution the politicians of both the states find to this water crisis.