Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami wrote to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change as well as the Jal Shakti Ministry on Wednesday, urging the Centre to ‘reject outright the proposal of Karnataka’ to go ahead with its proposed Mekedatu project. The project aims to generate electricity and provide drinking water to parts of Bengaluru and Ramanagara districts. However, Tamil Nadu reiterated its stance against the project after the state learnt that the Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects, functioning under the MoEF, had decided to consider Karnataka's proposal for granting fresh Terms of Reference. A meeting to discuss this has reportedly been planned for July 19.
“The action of the Committee to include the proposal of Karnataka for discussion in the meeting is a violation of the Notified Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” stated the Chief Minister. Pointing out that Tamil Nadu had already approached the Supreme Court by filing an interlocutory appeal as well as a contempt petition, he wrote, “Further, Karnataka has not obtained the prior concurrence of the Government of Tamil Nadu and of other co-basin States. Cauvery basin being a deficit Basin, construction of Mekedatu or any project in any place by upper riparian State will drastically affect the lower riparian State in getting its due share of water.”
In June, the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Niyamita, an undertaking of the government of Karnataka tasked with managing the Cauvery river and affairs related to it, wrote to the MoEF. Following this, CM Palaniswami wrote to PM Modi, seeking his personal intervention in the matter. The state has sought the removal of the subject from the agenda of the meeting to be held next week. "The Committee may also be directed to desist from entertaining the proposal of Karnataka in future and the present proposal may be rejected and returned to Karnataka,” the letter said.