India20 Aug

Karnataka CM says Mekedatu dam water, except 5 TMC for drinking, will go to Tamil Nadu

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he assured Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, that their interests would be protected in the proposed Mekedatu dam project. He said except for 5 TMC used for drinking water, the rest of the stored water would be for Tamil Nadu. He also called for a separate meeting to resolve water-sharing issues and urged a shift from 'water sharing to water cooperation.'

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Thursday that he had assured Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, that their interests would be protected in connection with the proposed Mekedatu dam. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of southern chief ministers, Shivakumar said he had favoured a separate meeting to amicably settle water-sharing issues. He stated that except for 5 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) used for drinking water needs, the rest of the water stored in the proposed dam would be for Tamil Nadu. "The dam will be built only for you, not us," he said, addressing Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He also said that rivers such as the Cauvery, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Pennar, and Palar were the lifelines of the southern peninsula and called for a shift from "water sharing to water cooperation."

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