Mekedatu project across Cauvery is our right: Karnataka

 Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday asserted that the proposed Mekedatu project was the "right" of the state and its "lifetime dream" but sought to reach out to Tamil Nadu, which is strongly opposed to the scheme.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy held consultations with his predecessors and former water resource ministers on irrigation schemes, even as the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a unanimous resolution urging the Centre to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for a detailed project report for its proposed dam across the Cauvery at Mekedattu.

 "It is the right of our state, we don't want to fight or have misunderstanding with anyone on this issue.  It is a balancing reservoir, there is no question of us misusing it," Karnataka water resources minister D K Shivakumar told reporters here after the meeting.

"We request them (Tamil Nadu), they are like our brothers, we are friends… we have to share this water... we don't want to fight with them," he said in response to a question about Tamil Nadu rejecting the state's request for talks to clear doubts on the project.

The meeting was attended by former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar, and former water resource ministers Allam Veerabadhrappa, K S Eshwarappa, H K Patil, M B Patil, Basavaraj Bommai, also technical and legal experts.