in a sign of escalation of tensions over the inter-state river.
Tamil Nadu had been politicising the subject for many years now, Bommai told mediapersons in Bengaluru.
Stalin has written to the prime minister urging him to intervene and restrain the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) from discussing the multi-purpose Mekedatu project until the Supreme Court hears its objections to it.
Bommai wondered why the neighbouring state was raising objections now when the CWMA was almost concluding its meetings on the detailed project report (DPR) on the project. The Authority had, so far, held 15 meetings, and Tamil Nadu did not raise objections in any of these, he said.
Stalin’s letter came days before the Authority’s scheduled meeting on June 17 to discuss the Mekedatu project.
The Karnataka CM said Stalin’s objections were unlawful, went against the spirit of federalism and would not sustain in a court of law. He insisted that Karnataka had no plans to infringe on TN’s share of Cauvery water, but use its own share on its own land.
Bommai said he was confident the Centre will not accept the TN’s demand and Karnataka will get justice.
Karnataka has planned the reservoir for 67 tmc feet (thousand million cubic feet) capacity at Mekedatu in Kanakapura constituency, aimed at providing drinking water to Bengaluru city. The project also involves a 400 MW hydel power generating station.
The legislative assemblies of the two states passed resolutions against each other in March this year, asserting their right, and hitting out at the other.
Tamil Nadu assembly first passed a resolution to put pressure on the Centre saying the proposed project goes against the interests of its farmers while Karnataka followed with a tit-for-tat resolution slamming its neighbour and urging the centre to give speedy clearance.
In his budget this year, Bommai had set aside Rs 1000 for the Mekedatu project after the BJP came under intense pressure from the Opposition Congress which had taken a padayatra from the proposed project site to Bengaluru in a bid to show both Karnataka and TN governments in poor light.
The budgetary allocations only raised the political temperature with Tamil Nadu.
Then chief minister BS Yediyurappa had written to his TN counterpart MK Stalin, soon after the latter coming to power, requesting his cooperation for the Mekedatu project. Stalin, however, rejected it saying Karnataka’s demand was not justifiable.