CHENNAI: The principal opposition party, AIADMK, would stage a massive protest on February 29 at Thanjavur against the ruling parties at the centre and state and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for acting against the interest of people of Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery water dispute.
The CWMA was constituted to implement the Supreme Court's final verdict on February 16, 2018.
However, the authority had violated its very purpose of its existence and went beyond its purview by taking up the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir project, which was proposed by the Karnataka government, for discussion in its 28th meeting, said Palaniswami in a statement and announced the party would protest at Thanjavur on February 29.
He explained that the CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee have a limited role in the inter-water dispute.
Going by the SC's verdict, the two entities should monitor the water storage level and streamline sharing of Cauvery Water between Karnataka and the lower riparian states like TN, Puducherry and Kerala.
And it should monitor the realisation of water from Biligundulu by the Karnataka government. However, it went beyond the prescribed role and engaged in holding discussion on the Mekedatu project, he further said.
He also unleashed a scything attack against the arch rival DMK and its government over the issue and said the DMK government faltered by participating in the February 1 meeting of the CWMA, which forwarded the Mekedatu project to the Cauvery Water Commission to take a call on it.
"If the project is taken up by any means and the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir project executed, the delta region will turn into a desert and the people of 20 districts that depend on Cauvery water for drinking purposes will face severe problems, " he said and continued that the Centre betrayed Tamil Nadu in the inter-state water dispute.
He urged the party MPs, MLAs, senior leaders, party functionaries and cadres from the delta districts to participate in the protest.