CM Vijay asks PM to halt Mekedatu dam reviews, approvals amid farmers' concerns

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withhold approvals for Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam project without the consent of co-basin states, expressing concern over a reported site inspection by central government officials.Karnataka proposes the reservoir across the Cauvery to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate electricity. Tamil Nadu fears it could restrict downstream flows and affect water available to its farmers.In his letter to PM Modi, CM Vijay said the proposed 67.16 TMC reservoir, just upstream of the inter-state border, could affect both the quantity of water reaching Tamil Nadu and the monthly releases stipulated by the Supreme Court.He said the reported inspection had heightened concerns among Cauvery delta farmers already struggling in the deficit water year of 2026–27. The Tamil Nadu CM accused Karnataka of failing to release Tamil Nadu’s due share even on a pro-rata basis. VIJAY SEEKS HALT TO INSPECTIONS, APPROVALSVijay asked PM Modi to defer further administrative or technical action arising from the reported visit. Examining Karnataka’s detailed project report (DPR), conducting technical evaluations or inspecting the site at this stage was inappropriate, he argued.“In view of the Supreme Court order dated February 16, 2018, the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change may be asked to refrain from undertaking any site inspections, technical evaluations, or granting any statutory, administrative clearances to the Mekedatu project without the consent of lower riparian States,” the Tamil Nadu CM wrote. He also requested that Karnataka be advised not to proceed without the consent of co-basin states.CM Vijay referred to reports of Karnataka’s Chief Minister meeting central officials to seek clearance without Tamil Nadu’s concurrence. Statements from Karnataka indicated that central officers had visited the proposed dam site, he said.“The anxious farmers of Tamil Nadu view the site visit as an indication of tacit movement on a project that would jeopardise their very livelihoods,” he said.WHAT IS THE MEKEDATU DISPUTE?The proposed balancing reservoir is part of the long-running Cauvery water dispute. Karnataka says it would meet drinking water needs and help regulate releases. Tamil Nadu opposes additional upstream storage, fearing it would give Karnataka greater control over flows on which its farmers depend.Under the Supreme Court’s February 2018 judgment, Karnataka must ensure that 177.25 TMC reaches Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu in a normal year. For Tamil Nadu, the timing of those flows is also crucial, particularly during the agricultural season.In November 2025, the Supreme Court held Tamil Nadu’s challenge to the preparation of the DPR to be premature. The ruling did not grant final approval for construction. The court said Tamil Nadu’s objections and expert bodies’ views would have to be considered during the approval process.TAMIL NADU CITES LEGAL, LEGISLATIVE STEPSCM Vijay recalled his July 28 letter to PM Modi opposing approvals unless the proposal was demonstrably consistent with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award and the Supreme Court’s judgment.On May 27, Tamil Nadu approached the National Green Tribunal’s Principal Bench, seeking to restrain the Union Environment Ministry from granting permission until the inter-state issues were resolved.The state Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on June 19 opposing clearance for the project by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.On August 3, Tamil Nadu filed a Supreme Court petition seeking withdrawal, specifically for the Cauvery basin, of the ministry’s December 2025 guidelines on preparing DPRs for irrigation and multipurpose projects.Vijay said the challenge was based on the tribunal’s February 2007 finding that the Cauvery was a deficit basin. The petition remains pending, he added.- Ends