Mandya: Implementation of the Mekedatu project is the only permanent solution to the long-standing Cauvery water dispute, water resources and Mandya district in-charge minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said.
The minister said water was being released from the Hemavathi reservoir as a precautionary measure to ensure that drinking water requirements were met during the coming summer.
However, he said reports of farmers stopping the flow of water at some places had come to the government’s notice. Cheluvarayaswamy appealed to farmers in KR Pet and Pandavapura to cooperate and allow water to flow so that lakes in Maddur and Malavalli areas could be filled.
“If necessary, police protection will be sought to ensure that water is released,” the minister warned, while urging farmers not to obstruct the process.
On the Cauvery water dispute, Cheluvarayaswamy said Karnataka would effectively present the state’s actual water availability and prevailing conditions before the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
He reiterated that the Mekedatu project was essential for providing a long-term solution to the recurring dispute and stressed that necessary steps should be taken to facilitate its implementation.
The minister’s remarks come amid preparations to meet drinking water needs in the coming summer and continuing concerns over the equitable sharing of Cauvery waters between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.