Bengaluru: The Karnataka government filed a counter to Tamil Nadu’s application in the Supreme Court over Mekedatu row on Friday, January 4.
The Tamil Nadu government had approached the Supreme Court seeking to restrain Karnataka from proceeding with its detailed project report (DPR) in the Mekedatu reservoir-cum-drinking water project.
I M Bangaraswamy, Chief Engineer with the Water Resources Development Organisation in Karnataka, filed the counter affidavit, in which he alleged that the application filed by the Tamil Nadu government was made with the intention of preventing Karnataka from preparing the DPR on the project over the Cauvery river sharing.
“The above application has been filed with a malafide intention of preventing the state of Karnataka from preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and filing the same before the Central Water Commission (CWC) for its approval. The application is not at all maintanable. The state of TN has filed the application merely on apprehension without producing any materials to demonstrate that if the Mekedatu project is constructed, its monthly scheduled releases will be jeopardised,” reads the affidavit.
The affidavit also states, “The application (by Tamil Nadu government) is false, frivolous, vexatious, and not maintainable in law or facts.”
Arguing that the proposed reservoir would affect the natural flow of the river Cauvery, TN government had sought a stay on the preparation of the DPR and the construction of the two reservoirs at Mekedatu across river Cauvery planned by the Karnataka government.
MPs from DMK and AIADMK staged a walk-out in the Rajya Sabha over central government’s inaction in the Mekedatu issue.
