Tamil Nadu farmers oppose Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam plan

The Coordination Committee of All Farmers’ Associations of Tamil Nadu on Friday announced a five-day statewide campaign from September 20 against Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery river.

Farmers’ body president P R Pandian announced the campaign following a five-hour meeting between a farmers’ delegation and Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Gurugram.

The campaign will begin at Poompuhar, with farmers planning protests across the state. Pandian said the delegation could also seek a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi if required to press for their demands.

Opposing the Mekedatu project, Pandian alleged that Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report submitted to the Central Water Commission was “fraudulent” and legally invalid, as it did not have the required consent from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and the Cauvery Water Management Authority.

He urged the Centre to withhold environmental and forest clearances for the proposed dam, arguing that the project would harm agricultural interests in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Pandian also claimed that farmers in Karnataka would not significantly benefit from the project because the proposed site is located in a forested area downstream of the Krishnarajasagara dam.

As an alternative, he proposed building a dam at Rasimanal in Tamil Nadu, saying farmers from both states had agreed on the site during a joint meeting in 2024.

The delegation also raised several other issues with Khattar, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, implementation of the M S Swaminathan Committee recommendations, withdrawal of the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, opposition to mandatory smart meters and amendments to the Land Acquisition Act. Khattar assured the delegation that the issues would be taken up with the relevant departments and brought to the Prime Minister’s attention.

Pandian further condemned the detention of Punjab farmers at the Haryana border and sought additional central assistance for Tamil Nadu to deal with the agricultural impact of El Niño. He also urged the Centre to provide funds for desilting water bodies ahead of the northeast monsoon to improve groundwater recharge and water storage.

with inputs from PTI