Strong plea can save TN's Cauvery water rights: Experts

TIRUCHY: With the Supreme Court dismissing the petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government opposing Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project, the farmer associations and the Tamil Nadu Senior Engineers Association (TANSEA) have urged the state government to file a fresh appeal curated with robust technical inputs to safeguard the State's rights over the Cauvery water.

On November 13, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice NV Anjaria observed that Tamil Nadu’s challenge to the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) decision to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mekedatu dam was “premature”. It stated that the objections, along with the views of expert bodies, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), would be examined, because the court is entitled only to guide the CWC and not intervene in the tribunal's decisions.

In such a backdrop, R Paranthaman, the president of Senior PWD Engineers Association, Tamil Nadu, observed, “Tamil Nadu government should approach the court again with stronger legal and technical inputs. Mekedatu is located on the boundary of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka does not need water beyond Mekedatu, but the Tamil Nadu irrigation line commences after Mekedatu. With the construction of the dam at Mekedatu, Karnataka needs to reverse the water flow upwards to 100 km, which is unnatural."

Pointing out that Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu project aims to store 67 TMC of water, he noted that this will result in Tamil Nadu losing its rightful share of water. “So, Tamil Nadu government should approach the court, the Centre's Water Resources Department again, explaining the impact of the dam at Mekedatu in detail," he said.

He further suggested the government can consult with experts and move forward with a fresh appeal detailing technical specifications against the construction of the Mekedatu Dam. “Tamil Nadu has rights over the rainwater from Mekedatu and Kabini," Paranthaman stated.

Paranthaman further said that Tamil Nadu receives an average annual rainfall of 925 mm, through which the State gets an average of 2,500 TMC water. While the annual requirement of water stands at 1,260 TMC water, the State, with 100 water storage facilities and 40,000 water bodies, has the capacity to store only 916 TMC water.

He pointed out that 33 per cent of the State's irrigation falls under the Cauvery delta region and the construction of a dam at Mekedatu would prevent water from reaching the delta region, which would have a negative impact on paddy cultivation, resulting in starvation. "So, it is high time for the state government to act swiftly to prevent the construction of the dam by all means," Paranthaman stressed.

Meanwhile, PR Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association, charged that the onus is on the state government to fix this. “We have been urging the state government to file a case against the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which is solely responsible for the issue and liable to find a solution. The Chief Minister, MK Stalin, should act immediately and fight for the rights of Tamil Nadu," Pandian said and added that the Chief Minister should immediately convene an all-party meeting and make a decision on the issue.