Solution for water sharing with Tamil Nadu during monsoon distress years is Mekedatu project: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka had released excess water to Tamil Nadu during 2022-23, and on many occasions earlier whenever there was copious rainfall, but all of it ended up in the sea, claims Siddaramaiah.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah believes that the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project is more beneficial to Tamil Nadu than Karnataka, and would help people in the lower riparian State during a distress year.

On July 29, he was at Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir near Mysuru to offer ’bagina’, the traditional thanksgiving, to river Cauvery after the maximum level of 124.80 feet was reached this monsoon.

Mr. Siddaramaiah attributed the objections in Tamil Nadu to the project to political reasons.

Though the issue of sharing Cauvery water has been settled in the Supreme Court, and Karnataka is supposed to release 177.25 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet, this order is applicable only during a normal year, and not in a year of deficit rainfall. ‘’Tamil Nadu has a right to 177.25 tmc ft, but only during a normal monsoon,” he explained.

Karnataka had released excess water during 2022-23, and on many occasions earlier whenever there was copious rainfall, but all of it ended up in the sea.

‘’The balancing reservoir at Mekedatu will not only help meet the drinking water requirements of the people of Bengaluru, but will also enable Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu during a distress year, as 65 tmc ft of water can be impounded, which would otherwise end up in the sea,” he said.

He criticised the Centre for not giving permission for the Mekedatu project, and MPs of BJP and JD(S) for their failure to air Karnataka’s concerns in Parliament.