DMK criticises Vijay’s Cauvery stance at zonal council meeting
The long-running Cauvery dispute again came into focus as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka leaders met in Mahabalipuram during the Southern Zonal Council meeting.
Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu reservoir remains a sensitive issue for Tamil Nadu, which fears that additional water storage upstream could affect its share of Cauvery water, particularly in years of poor rainfall.
The DMK criticised Vijay over his response to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s support for the Mekedatu project. DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran alleged that Vijay failed to directly oppose the proposal during the meeting.
Vijay did not specifically refer to Mekedatu in his remarks. Instead, he said projects undertaken by an upstream state that could affect the legitimate water share of a downstream state should be pursued only within the applicable legal framework.
The issue has gained further importance after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water a day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days beginning July 29. The decision came amid weak monsoon conditions and reduced reservoir storage. The Cauvery Water Management Authority subsequently endorsed the directive.
The order also triggered protests from pro-Kannada organisations, which called for a statewide bandh in Karnataka on August 13.