Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Monday urged the BJP government at the Centre to prevail upon Karnataka to stop the plan to build a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu.
The ruling DMK government under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin should act jointly with the Centre and initiate necessary efforts to halt the construction of the dam at Mekedatu, Mr. Dhinakaran said.
He was speaking at a demonstration organised by the party condemning the Karnataka government for allocating funds for construction of the dam at Mekedatu besides urging the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government to stop Karnataka’s action and demanding that the dam should not be constructed.
Alleging that the Karnataka government did not respect the Supreme Court or the Central government, Mr. Dhinakaran claimed that it (Karnataka) had allocated ₹1,000 crore for the dam project. The Karnataka government was acting against the concept of federalism and fanning hate politics.
The Cauvery river water issue was not just a problem concerning the farmers of Tamil Nadu but one that concerned the livelihood of the entire people of the State. Nearly 85 % of the drinking water problem was being addressed by the Cauvery river.
Charging the DMK with depriving the rights of the farmers and people of Tamil Nadu continuously especially on the Cauvery water issue, Mr. Dhinakaran alleged that the DMK government headed by the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in 1970 did not oppose the construction of a dam across Hemavathi river - an important tributary of the Cauvery.
He urged the ruling BJP government at the Centre to prevail upon the party government in Karnataka to give up the dam project and instead raise forests in that area..
Mr. Dhinakaran claimed that it was former AIADMK Chief Minister Jayalalithaa who had provided a Dravidian model of governance in Tamil Nadu as she had opposed anything that went against the interests of the State, be it hydro-carbon project or NEET.
