Mekadatu Dam Project

2022 MAR 25

Preliminary   > Geography   >   Dams and reservoirs   >   Dams and reservoirs

Why in news?

  • The Karnataka’s government is set to pass a resolution condemning Tamil Nadu’s stand in opposing the construction of the proposed Mekedatu water reservoir in Kanakpura on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

About Mekadatu Dam Project:

  • Mekedatu, meaning goat’s leap, is a deep gorge situated at the confluence of the rivers Cauvery and its tributary Arkavathi.
  • Mekedatu dam is a multipurpose (drinking and power) project.
  • It involves building a balancing reservoir, near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district in Karnataka.
  • The project once completed is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighboring areas and also can generate 400 MW power.

Reasons for Opposition by Tamil Nadu:

  • Tamil Nadu says that the project would affect the flow of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu
  • Karnataka has no right to construct any reservoir on an inter-state river without the consent of the lower riparian state i.e. Tamil Nadu in this case.
  • The project is against the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in which the SC held that no state can claim exclusive ownership or assert rights to deprive other states of the waters of inter-state rivers.

Add ons:

  • 63% of the forest area of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary will be submerged due to the project.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Mekadatu Dam Project, widely discussed in news, is proposed to be built on river:

(a) Cauvery

(b) Godavari

(c) Krishna

(d) Damodar

Answer