Mekedatu: Centre cites SC order to say Karnataka need not take consent of riparian States to build structure across Cauvery

In what could bolster Karnataka’s stand on the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has clarified that the Supreme Court judgment dated February 16, 2018, on the Cauvery water dispute does not mention that Karnataka must obtain the consent of other riparian States, including Tamil Nadu, to construct any structure across the river.

The statement came on Monday in response to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) member Anbumani Ramdoss. He sought to know whether the Centre was aware of the February 2018 Supreme Court judgment relating to the Cauvery water dispute, which, according to the query, required the upper riparian State of Karnataka to obtain the consent of the lower riparian States, including Tamil Nadu, before constructing any structure across the river.