Tamil Nadu Assembly Unanimously Opposes Karnataka's Mekedatu Dam Project
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on June 19, 2026, opposing Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir on the Cauvery River. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay moved the resolution, citing the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s 2007 award and the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment. Tamil Nadu argues the ₹9,000-crore project, which includes a 400 MW hydro component, would violate existing water-sharing arrangements. The state has also requested a new tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, while Karnataka plans its own resolution supporting the project.
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Congress MP from Tamil Nadu boycotts Karnataka CM swearing-in over Mekedatu dam statement
Congress MP B. Manickam Tagore from Tamil Nadu boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka's new Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, citing Shivakumar's statement on the Mekedatu dam issue. Tagore stated that the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee will not accept any issue affecting Tamil Nadu's rights, particularly regarding the Cauvery river water dispute. He accused Karnataka politicians of using the Mekedatu dam proposal to divert attention from pressing local issues like Bengaluru's drinking water crisis. Tagore emphasized that the Congress party in Tamil Nadu is committed to protecting the state's water rights and is willing to pay any price for it. The article also notes criticism from Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran over Tagore's stance.
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PMK party leader Anbumani Ramadoss, during a padayatra in Karur and Tiruchi, strongly criticized the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution that sought formation of a new tribunal over Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam on the Cauvery River. He termed the resolution 'dangerous' and said the amendment by Leader of the Opposition Udayanidhi Stalin was unnecessary. Anbumani warned that accepting a tribunal could lead to a compromise reducing the dam's capacity from 70 tmcft to 65 tmcft, which would still harm Tamil Nadu. He accused Karnataka of not respecting Supreme Court verdicts on water sharing and said the dam would turn Tamil Nadu barren. He also highlighted that kuruvai cultivation fell from 6.5 lakh acres to 1.5 lakh acres due to low Mettur dam storage, and urged people to pressure the central government to stop the project. Karnataka's political parties are united on the issue, while Tamil Nadu's focus is on political infighting, he said.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.PMK Leader Anbumani Warns of Water Crisis if Mekedatu Dam Is Built
On July 2, 2026, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss warned that Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam would cause a severe water crisis in Tamil Nadu, affecting drinking water and irrigation. Speaking during a padayatra in Bhavani, Erode district, he argued that Tamil Nadu, as a tail-end riparian state, has greater rights over Cauvery waters under 1892 and 1924 agreements. He claimed Karnataka's existing reservoirs already hold 115 tmcft, while the 70-tmcft Mekedatu project would double Karnataka's capacity to 185 tmcft, far exceeding Mettur Dam's effective 80 tmcft. He questioned the need for a 70-tmcft reservoir for Bengaluru's drinking water needs, which he said require only 10 tmcft. Ramadoss noted low Cauvery flow at Biligundlu despite the monsoon and called the campaign non-political, focused on protecting water rights for 28 dependent districts.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Tamil Nadu Raises Objections to Central Guidelines on Cauvery Basin Water Projects
Tamil Nadu has expressed strong opposition to new guidelines issued by India's Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission regarding the appraisal of water resources projects in the Cauvery basin. State Water Resources Minister N. Anand told the Assembly that the guidelines were framed 'unilaterally' by the central government in December 2025. The norms gain significance amid the ongoing dispute over Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu drinking water-cum-balancing reservoir project. Tamil Nadu's fundamental objection stems from its long-held position that the Cauvery basin is a water-deficit basin, as recognized by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The state is particularly alarmed by a provision that allows 'presumptive concurrence' with the Central Water Commission's stance if the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) fails to act within six months. The state has conveyed its objections to the Centre, which has defended the guidelines.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Cauvery Water Authority Defers Release Decision, Urges Judicious Reservoir Use Amid Low Inflows
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) held its 52nd meeting on June 23, 2026, against a backdrop of depleted reservoir levels and renewed political tension over Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. Noting lower inflows and poor monsoon rainfall in parts of the basin, the CWMA refrained from issuing new directions on water releases and instead directed all basin states—Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry—to use reservoir water judiciously, prioritizing drinking water needs. Tamil Nadu pressed for the release of 9 tmcft of water from Karnataka and sought details on minor irrigation schemes, while also demanding a distress-sharing formula. Karnataka attributed low storage to delayed monsoon and El Niño effects. The authority decided to reassess the situation after monitoring the southwest monsoon's progress and will review again at its next meeting before deciding on further releases.
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Tamil Nadu's Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources, N. Anand, told the state assembly on June 22, 2026, that the demand for a new tribunal on the Mekedatu dam project will not adversely affect Tamil Nadu's interests. He argued that the tribunal is the best approach to establish the state's rights over surplus Cauvery water and prevent unilateral decisions by the central government. The minister clarified that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) did not reject Karnataka's Detailed Project Report (DPR) but forwarded it without comments to the Central Water Commission, meaning the threat of the dam remains. He also noted that the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment did not conclusively resolve the surplus water issue, and that Tamil Nadu contends any new dispute must go to a tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
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A meeting of the Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangakalin Koottuiyyakkam, an umbrella body of farmers associations, held in Tiruchi on June 20, 2026, decided to send a delegation to New Delhi to submit a representation to the Union Ministry of Water Resources opposing Karnataka's proposed balancing reservoir at Mekedatu on the Cauvery River. The meeting also discussed filing a case in the Supreme Court on behalf of delta farmers. Federation president Cauvery Dhanapalan stated that detailed discussions with a team of lawyers led to the formation of a committee to gather data on the issue. Veteran farmers leaders Mahadhanapuram V. Rajaram and P. Ayyakannu attended. The group concluded that farmers' organizations should collaborate with the Tamil Nadu State government in pursuing legal options, given the inter-State nature of the dispute.
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The Tamil Nadu government has formally requested the Indian Union government to constitute a new tribunal to adjudicate the dispute over Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery River. Tamil Nadu argues the project is 'inadmissible' and 'impermissible,' asserting that it falls outside the scope of the 2007 final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment. The complaint, sent in March 2026, contends that Mekedatu was not among the 28 projects listed in the CWDT's report for Karnataka's permitted water utilization. Tamil Nadu claims the project would violate the court-ordered water-sharing arrangement by impounding flows from the uncontrolled catchment, which contributes an estimated 80 TMC of water allocated to Tamil Nadu. The state urges the Centre to refrain from approving any new storage projects on the Cauvery or its tributaries until the dispute is resolved. Under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, the central government must constitute a tribunal within one year if negotiations fail.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.All Parties in Tamil Nadu Assembly Back Resolution Against Karnataka's Mekedatu Project
On June 19, 2026, the Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a resolution moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay opposing Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery River. All major parties supported the resolution, with Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin (DMK) emphasizing the state's decades-long legal and political struggle to secure Cauvery water rights. He recalled that the previous DMK government under M.K. Stalin had strongly opposed the project, including writing to the Prime Minister and sending an all-party delegation to the Union Jal Shakti Minister. Udhayanidhi urged the Chief Minister to amend the resolution to specifically request the Union government to constitute a new tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, treating Mekedatu as a fresh dispute. The Chief Minister accepted the suggestion and moved an amendment. The resolution will be forwarded to the Centre, with calls for an all-party delegation to personally submit it.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Clash Over Mekedatu Drinking Water Project
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are heading for a political confrontation over the proposed Mekedatu drinking water and power generation project on the river Cauvery. Tamil Nadu's Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the project, arguing it would affect its water share. In response, Karnataka's legislative assembly plans to pass a resolution seeking early implementation and central clearance. The ₹9,000 crore project, originally mooted in 1948, aims to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of power. It involves impounding 67.15 tmc ft of water and submerging 5,100 hectares of forest. Karnataka argues the reservoir will help ensure monthly flows stipulated for Tamil Nadu, while Tamil Nadu sees it as an additional claim. The issue is politically charged as Karnataka heads into an election year in 2023, uniting parties across the spectrum against Tamil Nadu's resolution.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Mekedatu Dam Project Revived as Supreme Court Allows DPR Appraisal
The Mekedatu dam project, a long-standing source of friction between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, has returned to the spotlight after the Supreme Court on November 13, 2025, approved the appraisal of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Central Water Commission (CWC). The Karnataka government proposes to build a ₹9,000-crore balancing reservoir at Mekedatu, about 100 km from Bengaluru, to impound 67.16 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water, along with a 400 MW hydro power component. The project is based on the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment on the Cauvery dispute, which sanctioned an additional 4.75 TMC of water to Karnataka.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Tamil Nadu Assembly Unanimously Passes Resolution Against Karnataka's Mekedatu Dam Project
On June 19, 2026, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, strongly opposing the Karnataka government's proposal to construct a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu. The resolution urges the Union government to deny all approvals, including technical and environmental clearances, for the project. It argues that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's 2007 final award and the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment have already apportioned all available water in the deficit basin, making any new project impermissible without the concurrence of other basin states and central approval. The resolution also calls on the Central Water Commission to refrain from examining or approving Karnataka's Detailed Project Report. The Mekedatu project has been a long-standing source of friction between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
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