CHENNAI: Kerala chief minister V D Satheesan pitched a new dam at Mullaperiyar, while Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar renewed his push for a reservoir across the Cauvery at Mekedatu at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting at Mamallapuram on Thursday, with both offering assurances that Tamil Nadu’s water interests would be protected.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, Shivakumar said he had assured Union home minister Amit Shah that the interests of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would be protected in the proposed Mekedatu project.He called for a separate meeting to resolve inter-state water disputes and said Karnataka would retain only five TMC of water from the proposed reservoir for drinking water, with the remaining water released to Tamil Nadu. Shivakumar said he had given assurance in Shah’s presence.Calling for a paradigm shift from “water sharing” to “water cooperation,” the Karnataka CM said inter-state rivers should unite states rather than divide them. “Rivers transcend political boundaries,” he said, stressing the need for greater cooperation among states sharing river waters.He said Karnataka respected the rights of lower-riparian states and called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue and mutual cooperation. “Water cooperation, not just water sharing, is the need of the hour,” he said. His remarks come against the backdrop of the long-running Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and TN’s opposition to the proposed Mekedatu project.At the same meeting, Satheesan reiterated Kerala’s demand for a new Mullaperiyar dam, offering to bear the entire construction cost and ensure that TN receives its full entitled share of water from the new structure. Kerala also offered to let Tamil Nadu decide the design and location and oversee construction of the proposed dam.The twin proposals put the chief minister C Joseph Vijay-led govt in a politically difficult position. It may be recalled that Vijay faced criticism for his unsuccessful attempt to travel to Bengaluru to hold talks with his counterpart to find an amicable and permanent solution over the Cauvery issue.While Karnataka sought to project Mekedatu as a drinking-water project that would not affect TN’s share, Kerala sought to frame a new Mullaperiyar dam as a safety measure while assuring TN of its water entitlement.TN has consistently opposed Mekedatu, citing concerns over its impact on Cauvery water availability, while Kerala has long sought a new Mullaperiyar dam citing safety concerns to maintain the water level in the existing structure. Kerala has been opposing raising the water level to 152 feet questioning the stability of the Mullaperiyar dam despite experts ascertaining its firmness.
