Chennai, 13 Dec 

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday accused the Congress government in neighbouring Karnataka of pursuing the Mekedatu dam project with the “sole aim” of turning Tamil Nadu into a desert, triggering a sharp political attack over the long-standing Cauvery water dispute.

Palaniswami stated that Karnataka was proceeding with plans to construct a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu without regard for its adverse impact on Tamil Nadu, and blamed the ruling DMK for what he described as the present “unfortunate situation.”

“TheDMK government under Chief Minister M K Stalin did not present strong arguments on behalf of Tamil Nadu through lawyers before the Cauvery Management Authority and the Supreme Court on the issue of the livelihood of Tamil Nadu people, and had conducted itself half-heartedly,” Palaniswami said in a post on ‘X’.

His remarks came after the Karnataka government formed an expert team to expedite work on the Mekedatu project following a Supreme Court order.

In his December 12 post, the AIADMK leader alleged that whenever the DMK assumed power in Tamil Nadu, it had conceded the state’s rights to Karnataka in matters related to the Cauvery river water. “This betrayal by the DMK cannot be forgiven,” he said, urging the chief minister to immediately initiate legal measures to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests.

He also directly targeted the neighbouring state, reiterating that “the sole aim of the Congress government is to convert Tamil Nadu into a desert.”

Responding to the criticism, Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said on December 12 that the state government had already filed a review petition before the Supreme Court and submitted a detailed plea to the Central Water Commission (CWC). The submission, made on December 9, outlined how the Mekedatu reservoir would be detrimental to Tamil Nadu and contrary to the apex court’s directions.

The Mekedatu project involves constructing a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery in Karnataka to meet Bengaluru’s drinking water needs and generate hydroelectric power.