The Union government has given a written clarification in Parliament that the 2018 Supreme Court judgment did not contain any mention that, before undertaking any construction across the Cauvery River, the Karnataka government must obtain the consent of the downstream states that benefit from irrigation, namely Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
In the Rajya Sabha, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) member Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss had raised some questions regarding the Supreme Court judgment related to the Mekedatu project and the sharing of Cauvery water.
In this regard, the written reply given on Monday by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary is as follows: In the Supreme Court’s judgment delivered on February 16, 2018, no condition was imposed that the Karnataka government must obtain the consent of the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry to construct any structures across the Cauvery River.
The Supreme Court, in its order, has accepted and affirmed Section 18 of the final award of the Cauvery Tribunal of 2007. Accordingly, it has been clarified that, so long as it does not conflict with the tribunal’s order, a state has the full right to regulate the use of water within its territory or to enjoy the benefits derived from that water.
The detailed project report (DPR) of the ‘Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project,’ submitted in 2019 on behalf of the Karnataka government, has now been returned to the Karnataka government itself.
The Union Minister stated in his reply that the project officials have been instructed to prepare and submit a revised new project report in accordance with the final verdict of the Cauvery Tribunal and the existing guidelines of the Central Water Commission.