BENGALURU, 14 NOV

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said he has opened a dedicated Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Division under the Water Resources Department and directed officials to begin work on the project, a day after the Supreme Court rejected Tamil Nadu’s plea against it.

Tamil Nadu has been opposing the Mekedatu project, fearing it will cut into its Cauvery water share.

Shivakumar, who also handles the Water Resources portfolio, said he met farmers to address concerns over land loss.

“Today I opened a new division on Mekedatu in the Water Resource Department, inaugurated its office, and decided to identify government land to exchange for the forest or revenue land that will go (submerged),” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He was speaking at the launch of his Kannada book ‘Neerina Hejje’ (Footprints of water) here, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his cabinet colleagues and senior government officers and advocates were present.

Following the apex court order on Mekedatu, the MPs from Karnataka now have the responsibility to secure environmental and other clearances at the earliest.

Targeting Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he accused her of not releasing funds for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project proposes a dam across the Cauvery near the deep gorge of Mekedatu, where the Arkavathi meets the Cauvery on the Ramanagara-Chamarajanagar border. It aims to use 4.75 TMC ft of water to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and nearby areas, while generating about 400 MW of power.