K'taka building check dam across TN river: Jaya

Chennai, Aug 3: Even as the Cauvery water row was yet to be resolved, yet another inter-state issue has cropped up with AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa alleging that Karnataka was building a check dam across Thenpennai river near Hosur and urged the Tamil Nadu government to prevent it.

In a statement here today, she said the Karnataka government had finalised a plan to construct a check dam across the river at Mugalur at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore and was taking steps to implement it.

She said as a first step officials of the Karnataka Public Works Department carried out the preliminary works on July 31 and had made some markings. The Karnataka government had also allotted Rs 25 crore as the first instalment and had geared up its PWD machinery to expedite the works.

Claming that local people were witness to these developments, Ms Jayalalithaa expressed shock and said Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Tiruvannamalai districts were dependent on this river for their drinking water and agricultural needs.

Accusing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister of betraying the interests of the people, she said absence of a long-term vision had affected the state in resolving the Cauvery, Mullaiperiyar dam and Palar Dam issues with neighbouring states.

And the fresh addition to this was the building of a check dam across Thenpennai river by Karnataka, which she claimed was aimed at exhausting the water resources of Tamil Nadu and demanded an immediate halt to it.

UNI