Black flag stir against Mekedatu issue

Farmers urge Cauvery Water Management Authority to halt it

June 21, 2021 08:59 pm | Updated 09:00 pm IST

A farmer staging a black flag demonstration near a field at Vadapathymangalam on Monday.

A farmer staging a black flag demonstration near a field at Vadapathymangalam on Monday.

TIRUVARUR

The Tamizhaga Anaithu Vivasayigal Sangangalin Orunginaippu Kuzhu and Tamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam staged a black flag demonstrations across the State on Monday condemning the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for not preventing Karnataka’s attempts to build a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu.

The demonstrators holding black flags raised slogans against the project and urged the CWMA to halt the project.

Talking to reporters at Mannargudi after staging the demonstration, the coordination committee president, P.R.Pandian alleged that the Karnataka government was attempting to construct the dam illegally and claimed it was supported clandestinely by the Central government.

Urging the CWMA chairman not to bow to the Centre on this issue, Mr.Pandian alleged that the Central government and Karnataka government have come together to usurp the powers of the Authority, “which had remained inactive for the past 12 months.”

Exhorting that the Authority should be allowed to act independently, he called upon the CWMA Chairman to ensure that Tamil Nadu’s due share of water in Cauvery river for the month of June was released to save the standing crop in the Cauvery Delta districts of Tamil Nadu.

Demanding that the Authority should declare the attempts to construct a dam at Mekedatu by Karnataka as illegal at the meeting to be held on June 22, Mr.Pandian wanted the Authority to take up the issue with the Supreme Court if Karnataka refuses to budge. If the Authority failed, then the Tamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam would approach the Supreme Court to thwart the construction of the dam, he added.

Mr.Pandian also called upon the DMK government in Tamil Nadu to not allow the Prime Minister or the Central Water Resources Ministry to intervene in the activities of the CWMA and ensure that it functioned as an independent Constitutional Authority.

Meanwhile, at Kumbakonam, members of Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association led by the general secretary, Sundara Vimalanathan immersed an effigy of the Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S.Yediyurappa in Cauvery river as a mark of protest against the construction of a dam project at Mekedatu proposed by his government.

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