Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that the State Government was committed to implementing the Mekedatu dam project proposed across the Cauvery river in Ramanagaram district.
He would convene an all-party meeting to discus the project and lead a delegation to Delhi to appraise the Centre of the necessity of the project for Karnataka, Mr. Siddaramaiah said during his reply to the debate on the State Budget.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said Rs. 25 crore had been set aside for preparing a detailed project report. The project was conceived to meet the drinking water needs of people residing in the parched districts around Bengaluru. It would act as a balancing reservoir and harness water flowing into the sea.
“There is no politics in Krishna and Cauvery waters. We are building the Mekedatu dam within our state, they (TN) will not have any problem from it, and we know how to face this legally,” the Chief Minister said.
Tamil Nadu observed a bandh on Saturday opposing the plan for the Mekadatu project this side of the border.
The Opposition parties-backed state-wide farmers’ bandh over the Mekedatu dam row, though the state government has distanced itself from it.
The bandh call is to press the Centre to rein in Karnataka from going ahead with its proposed plan build a dam at Mekedatu and to urge it to set up the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority.
Affiliated trade unions of eight state-run transport corporations of these parties, traders’ associations, retailers, vegetable traders and sand lorry operators are among those who had expressed support for the shutdown.
(Agencies)
