Bengaluru, 2 August

Officials from both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP appeared to agree as Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Sunday that building the Mekedatu dam is “the permanent solution” to the Cauvery water issue at the all-party meet in Bengaluru.

“The Supreme Court has already delivered its judgment, and the Central Government has also given its response. Taking all that into consideration, we should move forward without wasting any more time,” Shivakumar stated. “This is not about Tamil Nadu getting more or Karnataka getting less. We should use this opportunity to bring both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to the table, hold discussions, and resolve the issue amicably.”

The proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir has been a sore point in Tamil Nadu-Karnataka relations. Karnataka seeks to build a massive dam at the confluence of the Cauvery River and the Arkavathi tributary in Ramanagara district to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru, while Tamil Nadu argues that such a move would be a death spell for farmers of the Cauvery delta region.

But former chief minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said that the Centre has no objection to the Mekedatu project.

“Even the CM has agreed that for the first time, the Centre has come out with a categorical opinion (in favour of the dam), and it has helped us a lot,” Bommai told reporters after the meeting.

His comments were echoed by Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna, who added that the Centre has given its approval, subject to certain corrections being made in the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

He said that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu must discuss how much water will be earmarked for drinking water. “The Chief Minister will speak about evolving an agreement between the two states so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated in the future”.

Notably, the Centre last week stated that Karnataka doesn’t need Tamil Nadu’s consent to build the massive dam.

Drought Declaration

Shivakumar stated that the official drought declaration for the region will only happen by the end of August. Rain and crop damage reports will be collected from all taluks in the State by then. Karnataka has received 35 per cent of the normal rainfall, he said.

Meanwhile, former CM Siddaramaiah said that the government must ensure compensation is given to farmers whose crops have withered due to the lack of rains since Karnataka is prioritising drinking water.