Mekedatu dam row: AIADMK warns of protests against bid to make Tamil Nadu a desert
Chennai (PTI): The opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Thursday warned neighbouring Karnataka of protests if it went ahead with the construction of the Mekedatu dam project, which the party sees as an attempt to transform TN into a desert.
Taking strong exception to the reported remark of Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on going ahead with the reservoir project across the Cauvery river, leader of the opposition K Palaniswami said the neighbouring state should not act against the interest of the lower riparian states.
"As per the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, Karnataka has no right to prevent or alter the natural course of a river. Even the final verdict on the Cauvery water dispute is clear that no irrigation project should be taken up without the approval of the lower riparian states," Palaniswami said in a statement here.
Being so, the announcement of the Congress government in Karnataka went against the interest of Tamil Nadu. Any move to build the reservoir project across the Cauvery at Mekedatu would only assay to transform Tamil Nadu, dependent on Cauvery water for irrigation and drinking, into a desert, he claimed.
"There's no point in depending on the ruling DMK here on the issue. The AIADMK strongly condemns the attempt of Karnataka Congress government to build a dam at Mekedatu and warns the Karnataka state government that the AIADMK will organise protests to prevent Tamil Nadu from turning into a desert," Palaniswami said.
Meanwhile, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan, too condemned the attempt to build the dam and said the final verdict in the Cauvery disputes is clear that no construction should be taken up across the Cauvery river without the approval of Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu government too strongly opposed Shivakumar's reported remarks on his state going ahead with the construction of a reservoir across river Cauvery at Mekedatu, expressing surprise over his 'teasing' the neighbour within days of coming to power.
State Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan on Wednesday sought to remind Shivakumar that the proposed project in Karnataka found no mention in the order of the Cauvery disputes tribunal or the Supreme Court's final verdict.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kerala landslides: 173 people dead
Wayanad (Kerala) (PTI): As many as 173 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district two days ago, with the numbers expected to increase even more as rescuers unearth debris, the district administration said on Thursday.
The 173 dead include 23 children and 70 women.
It said that 100 bodies have been identified and the post-mortem of 219 remains, including body parts, has been completed.
It further said that 221 people were admitted to hospitals from the disaster-hit areas and of them 91 are still undergoing treatment.
Several people remain missing in landslide-hit Wayanad, where rescue operators are contending with adverse conditions, including waterlogged soil, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings for survivors or bodies.
According to the government's official estimate on Wednesday evening, 191 people are missing, though official sources indicate that the actual number may be much higher.
The landslides occurred around 2 am and 4.10 am on Tuesday, catching people off-guard while they were sleeping, leading to a high number of casualties.
Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains struck the picturesque hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha, leaving behind a trail of death, destruction and despair.
