PMK President Anbumani launches Cauvery awareness march against Mekedatu dam project

CHENNAI: PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday launched a public awareness march from Biligundlu in Dharmapuri district to Poompuhar, demanding that the Karnataka government abandon the proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery River.

Addressing reporters before the start of the rally, Anbumani warned that the project would severely affect Tamil Nadu's water security, agriculture, and environment, and urged the State government to intensify its legal battle against the dam.

Speaking to reporters before flagging off the march, the PMK leader said the primary objective of the campaign was to prevent Karnataka from constructing the dam across the Cauvery River. He alleged that the project would be detrimental to Tamil Nadu's water resources, agriculture, and ecological balance.

Describing the Cauvery as Tamil Nadu's lifeline, Anbumani said more than five crore people and in Tamilnadu depend on the river directly or indirectly. He claimed that if Karnataka proceeds with the Mekedatu project, even the limited flow currently reaching Tamil Nadu would be affected, posing a serious threat to drinking water supplies and irrigation.

Questioning Karnataka's justification that the project is intended to meet Bengaluru's drinking water requirements, Anbumani argued that the city's needs could be met with a much smaller allocation of water. He expressed concern that a 70 TMC reservoir could later be used for irrigation purposes, further reducing water availability downstream.

The PMK leader also highlighted environmental concerns, stating that the proposed project area consists of nearly 12,500 acres of dense forest inhabited by elephants, tigers, and other wildlife species. He said environmental activists in Karnataka have also raised objections to the project and urged authorities to consider its ecological impact.

Anbumani accused successive governments in Karnataka of failing to honour Cauvery water sharing commitments and called upon the Tamil Nadu government to continue pursuing legal remedies to block the project. He maintained that the existing Cauvery Tribunal framework was sufficient and opposed the State government's proposal for a new tribunal.

He also appealed to Tamil Nadu's youth and the general public to unite against the project, comparing the need for public mobilisation to the mass protests witnessed during the Jallikattu movement.

Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's opposition to environmentally sensitive projects in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Anbumani urged him to take a similar stand on the Mekedatu issue. He called on Gandhi to intervene with the Congress-led Karnataka government and press for the withdrawal of the project.

The awareness march is cover major Cauvery irrigation regions across Tamil Nadu, with PMK leaders and farmers' representatives participating in the campaign.