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OPS, EPS to meet PM Modi on Monday, likely to discuss Mekedatu dam row

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been at loggerheads over the Mekedatu dam, a new dam proposed by the Karnataka government over the river Cauvery for years together now.

AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Paneerselvam are likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. According to reports, OPS left for New Delhi on Sunday and EPS, who is the former CM, is likely to reach the capital early Monday. OPS also visited L Murugan, TN BJP leader who was recently appointed as Union Minister of State. 

According to Times of India, the AIADMK leaders are likely to discuss the Mekedatu dam issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu with PM Modi. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been at loggerheads over the Mekedatu dam, a new dam proposed by the Karnataka government over the river Cauvery for years together now. Explaining how the Mekedatu dam, if built, would affect Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Stalin had said that one of the sources from which Tamil Nadu gets is share of Cauvery water from Karnataka is the water downstream of Kabini river, and from the sub basins of Arkavathi, Shimsha and Suvarnavathi rivers. There is no dam in this part of the Cauvery and hence, water has been flowing without hindrance to Tamil Nadu. 

The Mekedatu dam is proposed to be built for Rs 9000 crore. The dam will come up in Ontogondlu in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district where the rivers Cauvery and Arkavathi meet. The dam will have a 67000 million cubic feet capacity of water and it is meant to take care of the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and neighbouring areas. Initially proposed as a hydropower project, the Karnataka government states that the reservoir will also generate 400 MW of power once it has been built.  However Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project stating that building a dam on Arkavathi would ensure that Karnataka has more control over the Cauvery water and that the state has been failing to release Tamil Nadu’s share of water. 

Stalin added that a new dam built on Cauvery would severely affect the farmers of Tamil Nadu and their agricultural land. 

On July 12, an all party meeting was held in Tamil Nadu where leaders from all parties including the BJP and the AIADMK passed a resolution asking the Union Government to not allow Karnataka to build the Mekedatu dam. The meeting was convened by Chief Minister MK Stalin at the state secretariat. 

Deccan Herald reported that EPS and OPS are likely to raise the issue of the DMK government probing alleged corruption during the AIADMK regime. This after the Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Vigilance (DVAC) recently filed a disproportionate assets (DA) case against former Transport Minister M R Vijayabhaskar. 

Source: The News Minute