Bengaluru, Aug. 9 -- Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Vice President and Water Satyagraha convenor Syed Ahmed Hussain has defended the Mekedatu project, saying Bengaluru's drinking water needs must be given the "highest priority" and that the project does not violate Karnataka's obligations to Tamil Nadu.

Responding via a letter to actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa's letter to Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on the proposed Mekedatu project, Hussain said the debate on Mekedatu should be guided by "constitutional principles, scientific evidence and the realities of Bengaluru's growing water crisis" and not political speculation.

Referring to the Supreme Court judgment dated February ...