Respond decisively to thwart Mekedatu reservoir challenge, says farmers affiliation chief

Chief Minister MK. Stalin ought to reply decisively to Karnataka’s transfer to assemble a reservoir in Mekedatu and make sure that the 50-year battle of the decrease riparian State to safe its justifiable share of Cauvery water will not be in useless, P.R. Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu, stated in Coimbatore on Friday.

Mr. Pandian faulted the State Government for having moved in opposition to the Karnataka authorities within the Supreme Court relatively than taking up the Jal Sakthi Ministry, Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, and Cauvery Water Management Authority for having accepted the dam proposal from the higher riparian State.

Mr. Pandian cited the apex courtroom’s earlier stand that the decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on the share of water for Tamil Nadu couldn’t be appealed in opposition to and could be deemed remaining. This has been printed within the Central Government Gazette.

“The water-sharing components specified by the Tribunal is already a settled problem between the 2 States. With this being the case, Karnataka has no proper to assemble any new dam. The Chief Minister, relatively than the Water Resources Minister, has to reply to Karnataka on the problem to achieve National-level visibility,” Mr. Pandian contended. The State authorities has to enchantment in opposition to the Supreme Court’s comment that Tamil Nadu’s problem in opposition to the Central Water Commission’s directive to organize the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the challenge was “untimely”.

He warned that acquiescing to Karnataka’s plan would trigger desertification of 28 lakh acres in Tamil Nadu, and block water availability for 22 districts.

“Tamil Nadu’s meals grains manufacturing shall be hit arduous,” Mr. Pandian cautioned, including: “In the occasion of the Tamil Nadu authorities failing to reply appropriately to Karnataka, farmers’ associations within the State will convene an all-party assembly and take the subsequent plan of action.”