Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is set to travel to Karnataka to seek a negotiated solution to the long-running Cauvery water dispute, in a move compared to former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran’s direct outreach to Karnataka leaders.
The report notes that four major dams—Harangi, Hemavathi, Kabini and KRS—have been built across the Cauvery in Karnataka. The Supreme Court has ruled that 177.25 TMC of water must be released to Tamil Nadu annually from the storage in these reservoirs.
To ensure Tamil Nadu receives its due share, the Cauvery Management Authority and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee have been constituted. While former Chief Ministers J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi pursued legal battles that led to these mechanisms, they did not engage in direct talks with Karnataka Chief Ministers on the issue, the report said.
Vijay is expected to visit Bengaluru on August 3 along with Chief Secretary Saikumar, Water Resources Department Secretary Satyaprabha Sahu and adviser John Arokiyasamy, among others. He will meet Karnataka Chief Minister Sivakumar, with discussions likely to cover Cauvery water release and Karnataka’s plans for the proposed Mekedatu dam.
Speaking in Kumbakonam, Agriculture Minister Vinoth said Tamil Nadu would not permit construction of a dam at Mekedatu and asserted that the state would not give up its rights over Cauvery waters. He added that Karnataka has cited inadequate rainfall as a reason for not releasing water, but said the Chief Minister would press for Tamil Nadu’s rightful share during the talks.
