MDMK general secretary Vaiko has alleged that the Union government is the main “villain” in the Mekedatu dam issue, urging that Karnataka should not be allowed to build a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu.
He warned that if a dam is constructed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu could face a severe drinking water problem in as many as 25 districts. Vaiko said any clearance from the Centre for such a project would be unacceptable.
According to him, granting permission for the dam would also affect India’s unity, given the inter-state nature of the Cauvery dispute.
In the same statement, Vaiko spoke about the environmental impact of invasive prosopis (seemai karuvel) trees. He said the seeds were introduced in 1960 based on wrong advice and that the trees deplete groundwater and harm the environment.
Vaiko claimed he has removed prosopis trees in eight districts of Tamil Nadu and noted that courts have issued 19 directions to the Tamil Nadu government to ensure their complete removal.
