Central govt's reply on Mekedatu issue great shock to lower riparian states: EPS

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday condemned the reply given by the Union Minister of State for Water Resources Raj Bhushan Choudhary in the Rajya Sabha on the proposed Mekedatu dam project, alleging that it had caused "great shock and anxiety" among the people of Tamil Nadu.

Referring to the 2018 Supreme Court judgment validating the Cauvery water award by the tribunal, he said it had clearly stipulated that no upper riparian State should take any action under the Cauvery water-sharing scheme that would adversely affect the water supply to lower riparian States.

He reiterated the AIADMK's opposition to the proposed Mekedatu dam project and said the party would continue to resist any move that could affect Tamil Nadu's rightful share of Cauvery water.

Palaniswami further said that while the Supreme Court judgment had clearly held that upper riparian States should not undertake any action affecting water supply to lower riparian States, the Union Minister's reply had created anxiety among the people living in the states through which the Cauvery river flows.