Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Anand has said the proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery will never be built, while announcing that repairs to damaged barrages at Mukkombu in Tiruchirappalli will begin soon.
Speaking to reporters at Tiruchirappalli airport and Mukkombu on November 12, Anand responded to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s repeated statements that Karnataka would construct the dam at Mekedatu. “What Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar is saying about building a dam at Mekedatu across the Cauvery will never happen,” Anand said.
The minister also said steps would be taken to ensure that Karnataka releases Tamil Nadu’s due share of Cauvery water properly. The statement places the proposed Mekedatu project alongside the continuing dispute over the sharing and release of Cauvery water between the two states.
At Mukkombu, Anand said work to restore damaged barrages would commence shortly. The announcement links the immediate repair of water-control infrastructure in Tiruchirappalli with the wider management of the Cauvery system in Tamil Nadu.
Anand further said the state would take measures to increase the area under paddy cultivation in the Cauvery Delta. The minister did not provide details on the repair schedule, the extent of the damage, the proposed cultivation area or the specific steps planned to secure water releases from Karnataka.
Rejecting the suggestion that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders support Karnataka’s position on the Mekedatu dam, Anand said there was no such support and described the claim as something Shivakumar would have to continue making. The minister’s remarks came as Tamil Nadu reiterated its opposition to the proposed dam and its focus on water releases, barrage repairs and Delta cultivation.
