“In politics, we will compete; in development, we will cooperate,” Shivakumar told reporters, referring to his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the differences between the two states over the Cauvery issue.
Asserting that all political parties in Karnataka were united on the Mekedatu project, he said he was submitting the necessary documents to the Union ministries to secure forest and environmental clearances. He also appealed to the Centre to reject the Kasturirangan report, which recommends stringent central environmental oversight for projects in the Western Ghats, and clear the hurdles for the proposed reservoir.
Shivakumar invited the Tamil Nadu government to send a delegation to Karnataka, promising to explain how the project would also benefit Tamil Nadu. “It is our duty to protect their right. At the same time, it is our right to build the dam and provide them with water,” he said.
