Tamil Nadu CM’s Cauvery talks proposal faces opposition from farmers, political parties

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s proposal to hold bilateral talks with Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over the long-standing Cauvery water-sharing dispute has drawn opposition from farmers’ organisations and political parties in the state.

Vijay is scheduled to visit Bengaluru on August 3 for talks with Shivakumar on the Cauvery water dispute and Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project. The meeting follows an invitation from the Karnataka government.

Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister R Vinoth confirmed the visit and reiterated the state’s opposition to the Mekedatu project, saying Tamil Nadu would “never allow it to be constructed”.

The proposal for direct talks has faced criticism from farmers’ groups, who have argued that negotiations outside the statutory framework could undermine the legal mechanism established for resolving the dispute. The Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Association, led by P R Pandian, urged Vijay to press the Centre for the release of 27.5 TMC ft of water from Karnataka.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss also opposed talks with Karnataka over the Mekedatu project.

The talks come amid a fresh water-sharing dispute between the two states. Tamil Nadu received only 3.5 TMC ft of water between June 1 and July 22, against its entitlement of 31 TMC ft under the Supreme Court-mandated schedule.

On July 22, the Cauvery Water Management Authority deferred Tamil Nadu’s demand for immediate water release and referred the matter to the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, which is expected to consider a pro-rata water-sharing formula at its July 28 meeting.

Tamil Nadu has long opposed Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu reservoir, arguing that the project would affect its interests. Karnataka has maintained that the project is intended to meet Bengaluru’s drinking water needs and generate hydropower.

The Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment established the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee as statutory mechanisms for implementing and regulating water-sharing between the two states.