TNCC president Manickam Tagore on Saturday accused Karnataka of using the Cauvery as a flood drain. He condemned Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar for asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear the Mekedatu dam project. Tagore said, "There is no room for politics in the issue of inter-State river water sharing."
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president B. Manickam Tagore on Saturday accused Karnataka of using Cauvery as a flood drain and condemned its Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar's plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite clearance for construction of a dam across the river at Mekedatu.
Insisting that water should be released as per the tribunal order, he pointed out that problems cropped up in Cauvery water-sharing irrespective of whichever government was in power.
The Virudhunagar MP condemned Mr. Shivakumar for raising the Mekedatu issue with Mr. Modi during the launch of a metro line in Bengaluru on Friday. Mr. Shivakumar had requested the Prime Minister to expedite the statutory clearances for the Mekedatu 'balancing reservoir' project.
"Of course, the Prime Minister should have responded to the Karnataka Chief Minister in a manner asserting the rights of Tamil Nadu over Cauvery water. He should have made it clear that there is no room for politics in the issue of inter-State river water sharing", he added.
Agriculture operations in Tamil Nadu would be affected once a dam across the Cauvery came up at Mekedatu. Hence, the project should not be allowed without the consent of Tamil Nadu, he said.