Edappadi K. Palaniswami has urged CM M.K. Stalin to raise the Mekedatu reservoir issue with the Congress high command, arguing that both DMK and Congress being part of the INDIA bloc makes national-level intervention crucial.
The appeal comes as Karnataka moves to submit a revised DPR for the Mekedatu project, which Tamil Nadu fears will threaten water supply to over 20 of its districts despite Karnataka citing drinking water and power needs.
Palaniswami warned that unchecked progress on the project could devastate Tamil Nadu’s delta regions, criticising Stalin for not responding to Karnataka’s statements and insisting on urgent political engagement.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday asked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take up the Mekedatu reservoir issue with the Congress high command, noting that both the DMK and Congress are part of the INDIA bloc. He said an intervention at the national level was essential to protect Tamil Nadu’s water interests.
The demand comes amid renewed efforts by the Congress government in Karnataka to push forward the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project across the Cauvery river. Karnataka has argued that the project is required to meet drinking water and power needs, but Tamil Nadu maintains that it would adversely affect water supply to its Cauvery-dependent districts.
Palaniswami pointed out that the river is the primary water source for more than 20 Tamil Nadu districts and urged Stalin to handle the matter with “extreme caution.” His remarks follow Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s statement that the state will soon submit a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mekedatu dam to the Centre.
Earlier on November 13, the Supreme Court dismissed Tamil Nadu’s plea challenging Karnataka’s proposal, calling the petition “premature.” Palaniswami said the TN government must act swiftly in response to Karnataka’s plans and reiterated that Karnataka has “no rights” to construct the project.
He criticised Stalin for not responding to Shivakumar’s comments and said the DMK’s frequent invocation of its role in the INDIA bloc should translate into proactive political engagement. “Since Congress is also part of the INDIA bloc and it governs Karnataka, Stalin should immediately take up the issue with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to reach an amicable solution,” he said.
Warning of severe consequences, Palaniswami added that if Karnataka proceeds unhindered with the Mekedatu project, Tamil Nadu’s delta districts could “turn into a desert.”
