Chennai, Apr 27 (PTI) PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday urged the Centre to postpone the CWMA meeting until representatives from new governments in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala could participate.
The 50th Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting has been proposed to be held on April 29 in Delhi to discuss the provision of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
“The meeting comprises representatives from four states. It is unacceptable to hold a meeting where Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala have no full authority”, Ramadoss said in a statement.
The Assembly elections were held in Puducherry and Kerala on April 9 and in Tamil Nadu on April 23. The results will be declared on May 4.
Ramadoss said if the CWMA meeting discusses only the release of water from Karnataka’s dams to Tamil Nadu, based on the rulings of the Cauvery Tribunal and the Supreme Court, there would be no issue with that.
“However, the Karnataka government, which is desperately seeking approval by any means for constructing the Mekedatu Dam across the Cauvery River, is reportedly determined to exploit the current situation and insist on discussing and deciding on the Mekedatu Dam at the CWMA meeting,” he said.
“If the Mekedatu Dam issue is discussed at the meeting, no guidance would be provided to the Tamil Nadu water resources secretary, who will be participating in the meeting.” The PMK leader said the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections were concluded recently. The present government cannot make any policy decisions. “In such a scenario, if the officials participating in the meeting adopt a wrong stance, it could cause significant harm to Tamil Nadu,” he added.
“Therefore, to prevent a decision adverse to the interests of the farmers in the Cauvery irrigation districts in the Mekedatu issue, I strongly urge that the CWMA meeting, set to take place in Delhi, be postponed until new governments in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala can participate. Despite it, if the meeting is held, the CWMA officials should give an assurance that the Mekedatu Dam issue will not be discussed,” he said.
He recalled that based on the Karnataka government’s detailed project report for constructing the Mekedatu Dam across the Cauvery river, the Central Water Commission requested in 2019 that the CWMA recommend granting permission to build the dam.
“However, following strong opposition from Tamil Nadu parties, including the PMK, the project report remained undiscussed for a long time”, he claimed. PTI SNR SNR KH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.