CHENNAI: Union minister of state for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary on Monday informed Parliament that there is no mention in the Supreme Court’s final verdict on the Cauvery water dispute that Karnataka should obtain the consent of lower riparian states, including Tamil Nadu, for any construction across the river.Replying to a question raised by PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss on whether Karnataka was required to secure the consent of downstream states before taking up the Mekedatu project, the minister cited the Supreme Court’s February 2018 order which found Clause XVIII of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award of 2007 appropriate. The court had reiterated in its order that “Nothing in the order of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT ) shall impair the right, power or authority of any state to regulate within its boundaries the use of water or to enjoy the benefits of water within that state in a manner not inconsistent with the order of the tribunal.“The minister’s response comes amid Tamil Nadu’s continued opposition to the Mekedatu project. The state maintains that the proposed reservoir could adversely impact its share of Cauvery waters.On the present status of the proposal, the minister further said the detailed project report (DPR) of Mekedatu balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project submitted by Karnataka in 2019 had been returned to the project authority with the request to submit the revised DPR in compliance with the CWDT and as per the extant guidelines of the Central Water Commission.
