The Viduthalai Chiruthigal Katchi and Communist Party of India have urged the All India N R Congress-led National Democratic Alliance government to convene an all-party meeting to pass a resolution opposing the move by Karnataka to construct a dam at Mekedatu.
VCK general secretary and Member of Parliament D. Ravikumar in a memorandum to Minister for Public Works K. Lakshminàrayanan on Tuesday said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had convened an all-party meeting and unanimously passed three resolutions on the Cauvery issue. The Tamil Nadu government was taking all legal steps to prevent Karnataka from constructing the Mekedatu dam.
The Puducherry government should also take similar steps to protect its right to get Cauvery water. The Cauvery Tribunal had awarded 7 tmc of water for the Karaikal region. The Union Territory has to draw the water from Tamil Nadu, so the construction of a dam would impact the flow of water to Tamil Nadu and hence would adversely impact the region, Mr. Ravikumar said in the memorandum.
Secretary of CPI A. M. Saleem in a press conference said the move by Karnataka government would be disastrous for both Karaikal and Puducherry regions.
While Karnataka’s move to construct the dam would affect the farmers of the delta region of Karaikal, the construction of a dam across Thenpennai river, which originates in Karnataka and flows through the neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu before reaching Bay of Bengal, would destroy the farming sector in Bahour area.
The construction of dam would destroy the farming sector and impact ground water level in both the regions. The Puducherry government should emulate Tamil Nadu in convening an all-party meeting to pass a resolution against construction of dams by Karnataka.
To press for the all-party meeting and the demand for providing ₹6000 per month and food items for six months to people as a relief from pandemic-induced financial crisis, CPI had decided to hold demonstrations in 100 places in the Union Territory on July 15, Mr. Saleem said.
