Bengaluru, Nov 18 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also in-charge of the Water Resources Ministry, said on Tuesday that a new detailed project report (DPR) would be submitted in view of the Supreme Court order to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

The Supreme Court had recently rejected the plea of Tamil Nadu government against Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam project, while noting that Karnataka must release the agreed 177 TMC water to Tamil Nadu in a year.

Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with officials and Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Board of Directors, Shivakumar said, “In the meeting, we discussed how to take the project forward post the Supreme Court order. We will need to submit a new DPR wherein we will provide details of forest area getting submerged. We have started the project office on Harobele. We have also decided to open office of Chief Engineer and Chief Conservator of Forests at Ramanagara. Required staff would be given to these offices.”

Asked if a new DPR needs to be submitted to the CWMA, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “They (Karnataka government) had rejected the earlier DPR. Hence, we will make necessary corrections and submit a new one. We will submit it to the authorities required by the law.”

Asked about opposition to the metro extension to Tumakuru, Shivakumar said, “We are exploring the possibilities as the legislators from the district approached me. We need to see the feasibility.”

Earlier, describing Mekedatu dam project as a project that would benefit Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry as much as Karnataka, the Deputy Chief Minister had said that the Supreme Court judgment was a victory to all the Cauvery riparian states.

Shivakumar said, “The Mekedatu project benefits Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka as it would help us release the stipulated amount of water to Tamil Nadu. As a result, this Supreme Court ruling is as much a victory for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry as it is for Karnataka.”

The Mekedatu Dam project is a multipurpose project involving the construction of a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district.

Mekedatu, meaning goat’s leap, is a deep gorge situated at the confluence of the rivers Cauvery and its tributary Arkavathi.

Its primary objectives are to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas, totaling 4.75 TMC, and generate 400 MW of power.

Tamil Nadu said that the Mekadatu dam would significantly reduce the water flow downstream, negatively impacting the state’s agricultural activities and water supply.

The Cauvery river is a crucial water source for Tamil Nadu, supporting its farming communities and meeting the drinking water needs of its residents.

Karnataka claims that the project violates the final judgment of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT), which allocated a specific share of water to each riparian state, including Tamil Nadu.

–IANS

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