Vijay urges PM to stop Karnataka’s Mekedatu Dam project citing Supreme Court order
A fresh political and legal confrontation has erupted over the proposed Mekedatu dam project, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate intervention to stop Karnataka from moving ahead with the project.
In his letter, Vijay alleged that the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project violates the Supreme Court’s Cauvery water-sharing verdict as well as the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. He warned that the project could adversely impact lakhs of farmers dependent on Cauvery river water in Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister questioned why the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission were considering Karnataka’s proposal despite repeated objections from his state over several years.
“Karnataka has utterly violated the Supreme Court judgment by announcing the Bhoomi Puja for the Mekedatu project,” Vijay said, urging the Centre to reject the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka.
He also cited remarks made by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, stating that such developments had triggered concern among farmers in Tamil Nadu’s delta regions who rely heavily on Cauvery irrigation.
The Mekedatu project, proposed near Kanakapura in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district, is designed as a multi-purpose reservoir aimed at supplying drinking water to Bengaluru and generating hydroelectric power. Karnataka maintains that the project will not affect Tamil Nadu’s water share and could help regulate surplus flows during high inflow periods.
However, Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the project, arguing that any upstream reservoir would alter natural river flow patterns and create uncertainty in scheduled water releases mandated by tribunals and court orders.
Karnataka has already prepared the DPR and indicated plans to proceed with groundwork, including identifying compensatory land for forest areas that may be submerged. The project still awaits clearances from central environmental and water authorities.
The Mekedatu issue has long been a major flashpoint between the two states, with political parties in Karnataka supporting the project while Tamil Nadu continues to resist it over fears of reduced irrigation security.