BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Wednesday opposed formation of a joint select committee by the National Green Tribunal’s southern bench to inspect the controversial Mekedatu balancing reservoir project proposed along the Cauvery. Law and parliamentary affairs minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters that the government will launch a legal fight against the NGT’s decision to suo motu set up the committee to inspect Mekedatu, which is in Karnataka state, “without consulting anyone and not based on any official complaint”. NGT’s decision is based on a newspaper report: BommaiThe NGT on Tuesday decided to constitute a panel with the Karnataka principal chief conservator of forest as the nodal officer for inspection along with members from the Cauvery management authority. The minister said the chief minister will hold a meeting with water resources and law department officers and the advocate general on Thursday. “The decision (to form the committee) is based on a report in a daily newspaper,” said Bommai, adding the Mekedatu case is already pending in the Supreme Court and the state was constructing the reservoir within its jurisdiction. “When the case is pending before the top court, how valid is it for NGT to launch its own investigation? These questions need answers,” he said. The long-pending project has run into rough weather ever since it was announced in 2018 with Tamil Nadu raising strong objections.
Karnataka opposes formation of Mekedatu panel
