Mekedatu: CM writes to PM

Chennai: Expressing concern over alleged site inspection by union government officials in connection with the Mekedatu dam proposal, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to grant statutory or administrative approvals for the project without the consent of co-basin states. The purported site inspection by central government officers has deepened the worries of the farmers of Cauvery Delta, who are already struggling in this deficit water year (2026-27), due to Karnataka’s denial to ensure Tamil Nadu’s due share even on a pro-rata basis, Vijay conveyed to Modi in a letter.

It is vital that the rights of lower riparian states regarding both the quantum and regulated pattern of monthly releases remain fully protected, the CM said. Hence, consideration or examination of the DPR for Mekedatu Project submitted by Karnataka or any unilateral technical evaluations or site inspections by central agencies at this juncture are highly inappropriate, the Tamil Nadu chief minister argued.

Vijay opposed Karnataka’s proposal to construct the Mekedatu reservoir across the Cauvery “with a huge capacity of 67.16 TMC,” just upstream of the inter-state border, as it would not only prevent flows to the state but also prejudicially affect the monthly deliveries to Tamil Nadu as stipulated by the Supreme Court.

Further, emphasising the need to ensure sustained water availability in the Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu, Vijay demanded that any further administrative or technical action arising from recent site inspection by officials be deferred. The Tamil Nadu chief minister urged the prime minister to not grant statutory, or administrative approvals to the Mekedatu proposal without the consent of co-basin states and requested that Karnataka be advised to not proceed with the project without the consent of co-basin states.

He said: “In view of the Supreme Court order dated February 16, 2018 (on Cauvery issue), 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”. Vijay said there have been frequent news reports on the Karnataka Chief Minister’s meeting with the Central government officials of Jal Shakti and Environment ministries seeking clearance of the DPR for Mekedatu Project without the concurrence of the lower riparian state of Tamil Nadu, and this is a matter of perpetual anxiety for the farmers of the state. In addition, Tamil Nadu filed a Writ Petition, on August 3 this year in the Supreme Court, seeking a direction for withdrawal of guidelines issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in December, 2025, on the preparation of DPR for irrigation and multi-purpose project proposals, exclusively for Cauvery basin, since the basin is held to be a deficit basin by the Tribunal in February, 2007. This matter is still pending in the Supreme Court of India, the chief minister added.

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