Chennai: PMK floor leader Sowmiya Anbumani on Friday strongly opposed the TVK govt’s attempt to hold talks with Karnataka over the Cauvery dispute, demanding an all-party meeting instead. She urged the state govt to take up the fight legally and lead an all-party delegation to Delhi to voice Tamil Nadu’s concerns.“There are only two options — either to build the Mekedatu dam or not. We do not want the dam. So why even attempt a dialogue? It is completely unwarranted,” the Dharmapuri legislator said during a special call attention motion on the Mekedatu row and Cauvery water dispute.Pointing out the threat, Sowmiya noted that Karnataka is attempting to construct a 70 TMC reservoir just 4km upstream of the Tamil Nadu border. “If the dam is built, TN will not get a single drop of Cauvery water,” she warned.She further cautioned that the project would cause severe environmental damage, submerging 12,500 acres of forest land and destroying parts of the Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, and Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary. She urged the state govt to initiate immediate legal action on environmental grounds.
