Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah makes fresh pitch for Mekedatu Reservoir

Bengaluru, Aug 22 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday made a fresh pitch for a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu across the Cauvery River, stating that the state releases more water to Tamil Nadu than its obligation requires.

The balancing reservoir at the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border has been proposed at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s home town Kanakapura in Bengaluru South district (erstwhile Ramanagara district).

The Chief Minister said Karnataka is releasing more water to the neighbouring state than the permissible level. "We have to release 177.25 TMC to Tamil Nadu during normal rains, but we have released more than what we were supposed to. That’s the reason we are insisting on a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu," Siddaramaiah told the Assembly on the last day of the monsoon session.

Karnataka needs the reservoir because, in a situation like the one this year, when the state released more water, it can store additional water in a balancing reservoir, he explained.

"I don’t know why Tamil Nadu is opposing it. They are entitled to only 177.25 TMC water. The Supreme Court has said the same. If we can build the Mekedatu reservoir, we can hold 67 TMC of water. It can help us with drinking water, and also during drough,t it can be released,” the Chief Minister said.

Stating that there is no harm if the balancing reservoir is built, he requested his Tamil Nadu counterpart not to oppose it.

The Chief Minister noted that due to good rains this year, reservoirs are full this year and the state is releasing more water from reservoirs on Cauvery, Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers.

Tamil Nadu always opposed the Mekedatu reservoir, saying that it would lead to injustice to its people, especially the agrarian community. PTI GMS GMS ADB