TN must not permit Mekedatu dam: Ramadoss

He also appealed to the State government to build check dams across the Cauvery to store excess rain water and obtain Central funds for the check dams if the Union government sought Tamil Nadu government’s approval for the Mekedatu project.

Karnataka is planning to build a dam at Mekedatu with a capacity of 67.14 tmc, the PMK leader said, adding that the neighbouring state could not carry out the project without the consent of Tamil Nadu as per the judgments of the Supreme Court and Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. 

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had met Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari and held talks about the Mekedatu project, he said. Kumaraswamy’s argument that excess water in Cauvery is going into the sea without being utilised during heavy rains and both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka could benefit by the new dam is an attempt to hoodwink Tamil Nadu, Ramadoss pointed out.