Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday made a passionate appeal to the Tamil Nadu government to cooperate with the implementation of the Mekedatu project across river Cauvery which, he said, would be more beneficial to the neighbouring state.
He also expressed hope about “problems in releasing water to Tamil Nadu to get sorted out, if god permits” and the rains continue in the Cauvery catchment areas of Karnataka.
“One thing I would like to appeal to Tamil Nadu, for your interest and our interest. More than our interest it is your interest, this Mekedatu reservoir, you just permit us, whatever storage we will do, we will give you that water, we can’t take back that water,” Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said: “It is my humble appeal on behalf of the people of Karnataka, where all sections — Tamilians, Kannadigas, Andhraites and people from North India — are there. It is for Bengaluru for drinking water and it is for you (Tamil Nadu). Please permit us for Makedatu, don’t object, we will cooperate in whatever way we can.”
Mekedatu is a multi-purpose (drinking water and power) project proposed by Karnataka, which involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district.
Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project, raising apprehensions that the state would be affected if the project takes shape.
The project, once completed, is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 tmcft); it also can generate 400 MW power, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore (2019 rates), according to Karnataka officials.
A separate Project Division and two Sub-Divisions have already been set up to implement the ambitious ‘Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and drinking water project of Cauvery river valley’, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said, presenting the state budget in February.
The storage in the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin stood at 63 per cent of the total capacity and, in this situation, the state was not in a position to release one tmcft water every day, the Chief Minister had said.
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