Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 26 (ANI): Vice President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), SM Hidayathullah, on Tuesday lauded the performance of the state cabinet, while simultaneously extending his full support to Chief Minister Vijay regarding the ongoing Cauvery river water dispute with Karnataka.

Speaking to ANI after a meeting with the Chief Minister, Hidayathullah commended the young leadership within the state government.

'I appreciate the ministers. Though they are very young and inexperienced, they are doing the job rightly,' Hidayathullah said.

Addressing the contentious Mekedatu dam proposal by the Karnataka government, the TNCC leader emphasised that legal recourse remains the most viable path forward for Tamil Nadu.

'Our CM stated that the government would take legal action against it. It is the only solution,' Hidayathullah stated. 'The central government is also against it, so we thank them as well. There should be no dam across the river. I welcome the CM's decision.'

The TNCC leader's remarks underscore the alignment between the Congress party and the state government on the critical issue of protecting Tamil Nadu's water rights.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately intervene and stop Karnataka from proceeding with the proposed Mekedatu Reservoir Project across the Cauvery River, alleging that the move violates Supreme Court orders and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award.

In a detailed letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister expressed deep concern over Karnataka's announcement of a 'Bhoomi Puja' for the Mekedatu project. He stated that the development has created widespread anxiety among farmers in Tamil Nadu who depend on the Cauvery waters for agriculture and livelihood.

The Tamil Nadu government argued that the Mekedatu project was never approved under the CWDT Final Award, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court in its landmark judgment dated February 16, 2018. The letter stressed that the Cauvery basin is already categorised as a water-deficient basin and that the available water has been fully allocated among the riparian States.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had earlier declined to grant Terms of Reference (ToR) for an Environmental Impact Assessment due to unresolved inter-State disputes surrounding the project.

Criticising the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Tamil Nadu government questioned why Karnataka's proposal was still being entertained despite strong objections from Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Keralam and Puducherry have a long-standing dispute over the Cauvery River water, with the proposed Mekedatu dam being a new chapter in the conflict between the two bordering states. (ANI)