Tamil Nadu CM seeks rejection of Karnataka's Mekedatu dam project
Chief Minister Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop administrative clearances for the reservoir without consent from co-basin states.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to block any statutory or administrative approvals for Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. According to reports from Moneycontrol and ANI, Vijay wrote to the Prime Minister on November 6 to express concerns regarding the project on the Cauvery river.
The Chief Minister asked the Centre to reject Karnataka's Detailed Project Report (DPR) and pause any technical or administrative steps following a recent site inspection by Union government officials. He stated that the proposed 67.16 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) reservoir, located upstream of the inter-state border, could limit water flows into Tamil Nadu.
Vijay argued that the project might interfere with monthly water deliveries to the state as mandated by the Supreme Court. He noted that farmers in the Cauvery Delta are already facing difficulties during the 2026-27 deficit water year and expressed that the site visit by Union officials has caused anxiety among the farming community.
The Chief Minister maintained that the proposal is inconsistent with the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award and the 2018 Supreme Court judgment. He requested that the Prime Minister advise the Karnataka government against moving forward with the project unilaterally.
Karnataka has proposed an investment of approximately Rs 9,000 crore for the project, which it says will meet drinking water needs for Bengaluru and generate hydropower. The state has maintained that the project will not impact the interests of Tamil Nadu.