Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday expressed willingness to hold discussions with Tamil Nadu regarding the proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery River. The river remains at the heart of a longstanding dispute between the two states.
Shivakumar was responding to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Arelkar's address to the state assembly, which called for halting Karnataka's efforts to build the Mekedatu dam. The Congress party is part of the coalition government led by C Joseph Vijay in Tamil Nadu.
"Of course, I am ready to sit and talk to them any time. I have no objection. Whether it is Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, we are all Indians. We all depend on the same river and the same water. Cauvery water is needed for agriculture, drinking, animals, birds, industries, and everyone," Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru.
The Congress leader, who recently succeeded party veteran Siddaramaiah as Karnataka chief minister, claimed that the project would benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka.
"We are not seeking any financial assistance or anything of that sort. Only the power sector will benefit. We can generate 400 MW of power. That is the major benefit for Karnataka. Apart from drinking water, it is a project that helps Tamil Nadu first and then Karnataka," he added.
Shivakumar described Mekedatu as a "balancing reservoir" and asserted that "not even a bucket of water" would be used for irrigation, except for Bengaluru's drinking water needs. He also maintained that the project would not affect Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water.
"We are committed to releasing 177 TMC of water, as ordered by the Supreme Court. We have to protect Tamil Nadu's farmers," the Karnataka CM added.
Shivakumar further noted that Tamil Nadu's politics has revolved around the Cauvery issue for the past 40 to 50 years.
"See, for the entire Tamil Nadu political establishment, this (Cauvery water sharing dispute) has been a political agenda for the last 40–50 years. I do not want to interfere in their politics," he remarked.
Earlier, Vijay wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to reject Karnataka's Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery.
The project, aimed at providing drinking water to Bengaluru, involves constructing a dam on the Cauvery near its confluence with the Arkavathi River in Ramanagara district at Kanakapura, the hometown of Shivakumar. It also includes a power station designed to generate 400 MW of hydroelectricity.
