New Delhi: The Centre has clarified that Karnataka is not required to obtain separate consent from Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Puducherry to implement the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project on the Cauvery river.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the 2018 Supreme Court judgment on the Cauvery water dispute does not mandate Karnataka to seek approval from downstream states for projects on the river.
The ministry further noted that the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award allows basin states to regulate water use and develop projects within their territories, provided such actions are consistent with the tribunal’s directions.
However, the Centre said the Central Water Commission (CWC) had returned the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka in 2019 and directed the state to submit a revised DPR in accordance with the tribunal’s award and the latest guidelines.
Following the Centre’s clarification, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar chaired a review meeting in New Delhi with senior officials from the Law and Water Resources departments to discuss the Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects, reservoir levels and the state’s drinking water situation. Senior ministers and officials, including Ramalinga Reddy, Dr. T.B. Jayachandra and Advocate General K. Shashikaran Shetty, attended the meeting.
