Anbumani Ramadoss Slams DK Shivakumar Over Mekedatu Dam Politics

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss criticizes Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar for politicizing the Mekedatu dam issue, alleging it is a strategic move to secure votes in upcoming assembly elections rather than a legitimate infrastructure project.

Anbumani Ramadoss Criticizes Mekedatu Dam Politics

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss, in a blistering attack on Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, claimed that he is politicising the Mekedatu dam issue to foster a political campaign to help Congress win more seats in the 11 Cauvery-basin districts in the upcoming Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections. Ramadoss slammed Shivakumar over his remarks, stating that Karnataka has the right to construct the Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery River.

"At a time when court orders clearly establish that a new dam cannot be constructed across the Cauvery without the consent of the downstream state, Karnataka's attempt to create unnecessary tension by citing a non-existent Supreme Court verdict is condemnable," he said. He added, "The claims made by the Karnataka Chief Minister are entirely false, intended to divert attention from the Mekedatu issue and amount to a distortion of the Supreme Court's verdict. The Supreme Court has not granted Karnataka any permission to construct a dam at Mekedatu across the Cauvery."

Legal and Political Implications

Ramadoss asserted that Karnataka has no inherent right to construct the Mekedatu dam. On the contrary, the established practice, not only in India but across the world, is that projects undertaken in upstream irrigation regions must not adversely affect downstream irrigation areas. This principle has also been emphasised in international agreements. The agreements signed in 1892 and 1924 between the Madras Presidency and the Mysore State concerning the sharing of Cauvery waters explicitly contain provisions to this effect.

"These provisions were recognised as valid in the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal delivered on February 5, 2007, as well as in the Supreme Court's judgment of 2018. Under these circumstances, how can Karnataka claim to have the right to construct the dam?" he asked.

Allegations of Election Strategy

Ramadoss emphasised that former Union Ministers for Water Resources Uma Bharti and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat have repeatedly stated that Karnataka could not be permitted to construct the Mekedatu dam without the written consent of Tamil Nadu, the downstream state. "DK Shivakumar is well aware of all these facts. His decision to revive the Mekedatu controversy is driven purely by political considerations," he said. He further highlighted that elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly are due in just 15 months.

"DK Shivakumar plans to turn the Mekedatu dam issue into a political campaign and help the Congress party win more seats in the 11 Cauvery-basin districts of Karnataka. For this purpose, the Karnataka Congress Government will stage a series of political dramas, including allocating funds for the project in the State Budget to be presented next year and laying the foundation stone for the proposed dam. The Union Government, too, will indirectly support these theatrics to serve its own political calculations," he said.

The PNK President underlined that in the 35 years since then, Karnataka has not supplied water to Tamil Nadu in even a single year in accordance with either the Tribunal's interim award or its final award. "Although Karnataka is legally obligated to recognise Tamil Nadu as an equal stakeholder in Cauvery water-sharing, it treats Tamil Nadu merely as a drainage outlet, releasing water only when there is excess flow or floods," he said.

He firmly stood against sharing the water with Karnataka after constructing a new dam with the capacity to store an additional 70 TMC of water, saying that it is not possible to trust the State when it has released water only due to excess flows in the past. "The Union Government must condemn the Karnataka Government for this conduct. It must not permit Karnataka to construct the Mekedatu dam without the consent of Tamil Nadu, the downstream state of the Cauvery basin," he said.

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