CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the Union govt’s reply in the Rajya Sabha on the proposed Mekedatu dam.Vijay wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narenda Modi contending that the response ignored settled legal principles governing inter-state rivers and the rights of lower riparian states.On Monday, Union minister of state for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary informed Parliament that there was no mention in the Supreme Court’s final verdict on the Cauvery water dispute that Karnataka should obtain the consent of lower riparian states, including Tamil Nadu, for any construction across the river. The minister was replying to a question raised by PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss on whether Karnataka was required to secure the consent of downstream states before taking up the Mekedatu project.Vijay said the observation that the Supreme Court judgment did not expressly require Karnataka to obtain the consent of lower riparian states before constructing a structure across the Cauvery failed to reflect the prevailing legal position. Vijay said, “The reply without referring to the settled law and legal principles in interstate water issues should be withdrawn.” Vijay asked the BJP govt at the Centre to ensure that no statutory or administrative approval is granted to the Mekedatu project unless it is demonstrably consistent with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) final award and the Supreme Court’s Feb 16, 2018 judgment. He also sought safeguards to ensure that the rights of lower riparian states over both the quantum of water and the regulated pattern of releases are fully protected.The chief minister demanded that any future consideration of the project be taken up only after a comprehensive technical and legal examination while taking into account the concerns of all lower riparian states.He cited the Constitution Bench judgment in the Alamatti case, which, he said, made it clear that the consent of lower riparian states was essential for such projects. Vijay referred to provisions of the CWDT award, arguing that upstream states could not undertake projects affecting scheduled downstream releases except through mutual agreement and in conformity with the tribunal’s award.The chief minister pointed out that the Central Water Commission had returned Karnataka’s detailed project report submitted in 2019 for revision to ensure compliance with the tribunal award and applicable guidelines, which, he said, underscored that adherence to the award remained a mandatory precondition. He said protecting the tribunal award and the Supreme Court judgment was essential for safeguarding federal harmony and the interests of millions of people dependent on the Cauvery.
