CPI-affiliated TN farmers' association criticises Karnataka CM over defence of Mekedatu dam

Chennai, Aug 26 (IANS) The CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association on Tuesday criticised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his defence of the proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery, accusing him of making misleading claims and attempting to turn people against Tamil Nadu.

In a statement, the association’s general secretary B.S. Masilamani said the Chief Minister’s remarks in the Karnataka Assembly — questioning why Tamil Nadu opposed the dam despite receiving its share of water under the Supreme Court’s verdict — were factually incorrect.

“Such statements are aimed at provoking sentiments against Tamil Nadu while concealing Karnataka’s long record of defying court orders,” he said.

Masilamani noted that successive governments in Karnataka had never released Cauvery water in line with the monthly schedule laid down by the Supreme Court.

The allocations were fixed after detailed technical assessments of both states’ needs, yet Karnataka had only released water when its own reservoirs were brimming — often coinciding with monsoon rains in Tamil Nadu.

“This has resulted not in assured irrigation but in flooding of our delta districts,” he added.

The CPI-led body highlighted that between June and August this year, Karnataka released 182 tmcft of water within just 81 days, far beyond the prescribed quota. While this excess flow was cited as compliance, it was in fact a result of Karnataka releasing water in bulk at its convenience, disregarding the monthly distribution pattern mandated by the court.

“After such repeated defiance, how can Karnataka ask Tamil Nadu to trust its intentions behind Mekedatu?” Masilamani asked.

He warned that once the Mekedatu project was built, even the current surplus flows to Tamil Nadu could be blocked. The project, he stressed, was not about drinking water for Bengaluru, as claimed, but about gaining control over the Cauvery and curtailing Tamil Nadu’s legally guaranteed share.

The association reiterated its long-standing demand for a neutral Cauvery Management Board with complete operational control over the reservoirs.

Only such a body, it said, can ensure fair and timely release of water free from political interference.

The CPI-led Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association urged the state government to resist any compromise and mobilise political and legal measures to safeguard the Cauvery delta farmers.

--IANS

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