TVK, DMK STAND TOGETHER ON NEW MEKEDATU TRIBUNAL; AIADMK, PMK, AND LEFT ALLIES OPPOSE

Chennai: The ruling TVK and opposition DMK on Monday stood together in assembly backing a new tribunal as a counter to Karnataka’s bid to construct a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu, while AIADMK, PMK and Left parties opposed the move.TVK and DMK said a separate tribunal was essential to `defeat Karnataka’s strategy’ of claiming that Mekedatu dam was for drinking water purpose. AIADMK, PMK and Left parties argued that a new tribunal could undermine Tamil Nadu’s hard won rights in the

Cauvery dispute

. They also criticised TVK govt for including the clause for new tribunal without discussion in the assembly. After a point, speaker JCD Prabhakar refused to allow discussion on the issue, stating that the resolution had already been passed unanimously.AIADMK MLA Thalavai Sundaram cited the SC final verdict on Cauvery and said Karnataka cannot lay even a single brick for the dam without the consent from lower riparian states. Hence, Mekedatu dam cannot be built and there was no need for a tribunal, he said. Failure by Karnataka to comply with the order would invite contempt proceedings, he said.CPI floor leader Thalli Ramachandran objected to the amended resolution, saying it had not been circulated to members as required under Assembly rules.

Ramachandran said a new tribunal would undo the decades of legal battle and the Supreme Court’s 2018 Cauvery verdict. ``A new tribunal is not necessary,’’ he said.Defending the resolution, PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna and water resources minister N Anand said the state govt had carefully weighed its legal options before arriving at the decision. Anand said the chief minister had consulted legal and domain experts to safeguard the state’s rights.Anand pointed out that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had not rejected Karnataka’s detailed project report for the Mekedatu dam. Instead, it had forwarded the report to the Central Water Commission without any remarks. “The threat still persists,” he said, reiterating the need for a new tribunal.Arjuna said some members had misunderstood the amended resolution. ``Karnataka has adopted a new strategy and is saying the dam is for drinking water purpose.

So, we want a tribunal to counter their strategy,’’ he said.DMK whip E V Velu echoed the view in the assembly. Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, former DMK minister Thangam Thennarasu said the proposed tribunal for Mekedatu dam will not have any influence over the SC final verdict on Cauvery water. ``These two are separate issues. We should consider this as a new dispute. So we would like to adopt a very cautious approach in order to protect the interests of the farmers of the delta region,’’ he said.