Chennai, Aug 25 (Reporter) Tamil Nadu will continue to oppose Karnataka's move to construct a new dam at Mekedatu across river Cauvery and has been continuously taking all legal steps in this regard, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said. In a statement here, he said Tamil Nadu has been repeatedly urging the Centre not to give any clearance for the project without the consent of the lower riparian states. He pointed out that Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project right from the inception as it would turn the villages in the state bordering Karnataka, dependent on Cauvery water for irrigation and drinking, into a desert. He also said the state government was continusouly taking all legal steps to stall the Karnataka's move to construct the dam at Mekedatu under the guise of providing drinking water facility for the people of Bengaluru. Stating that Tamil Nadu has filed a slew of cases in the Supreme Court, Mr Duraimurugan said "when the cases comes up for hearing we will put forth strong arguments and protect the state's rights". He said whenever Karnataka put forth its proposal to the Union government seeking the nod for conducting the feasibility study and preparing the Detailed Project Report, besides environmental clearance, Tamil Nadu strongly objected to it. Apart from adopting resolutions in the State Assembly against the Mekedatu project, Mr Duraimurugan also pointed that Chief Minister M K Stalin had made several representations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both in person and in the form of several letters, urging him not to give the nod for the Mekedatu dam project and issue necessary directions to the Jal Shakthi Ministry in this regard. Mr Duraimurugan's statement comes in the backdrop of Karnataka government submitting a fresh plea seeking Terms of Reference for the project from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Minister also recalled his meeting with the Union Jal Shakti Minister in New Delhi, besides leading an all-party delegation urging him not to accord any sanction for the project without the approval of the lower riparian states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry and reject the Karnataka's proposal to build the dam. He also pointed out that since the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Water Management Authority had not given any approval for the Mekedatu project, Karnataka could not go ahead with its proposal without getting the consent of the concerned States and the Union government...////...