In a statement, Palaniswami said Karnataka Chief Minister had repeatedly maintained that building a dam at Mekedatu was the state’s right and that no one’s permission was required. Such statements could create differences between the people of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, he said.
Recalling the legal battles fought by the AIADMK government, Palaniswami said the Supreme Court had delivered its final verdict after hearing arguments from all states. Subsequently, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee were constituted.
He pointed out that the Supreme Court had held that inter-state rivers were national assets and that an upper riparian state could not undertake construction activities affecting the rights of lower riparian states without their consent.
