Chennai, Jul 5 (IANS): Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Minister S. Duraimurugan on Monday left for New Delhi to meet Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the Mekedatu dam issue.

Duraimurugan will meet the minister on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the multi-crore project, proposed by Karnataka, across the Cauvery River near the inter-state border as it fears that this would affect the flow of the river.

Meanwhile, Karnataka has already filed an application before the Centre, seeking permission to conduct environmental impact assessment studies.

Talking to IANS before leaving, Duraimurugan said: "I will be discussing a wide range of issues pertaining to water resources with the Union Minister but the focus will be on Mekedatu dam as well as the dam across the Markandeya river."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had written a letter to his Karnataka counterpart B.S. Yediyurappa stating that the construction of a major reservoir in the Cauvery does not augur well. Yediyurappa had responded on Saturday, contending that the Mekedatu dam will not hamper the flow of Cauvery water and that Tamil Nadu will not be in any way affected by its construction.