Vijay writes to PM, urges to halt Karnataka Mekedatu dam project against SC order

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop Karnataka from proceeding with the contentious Mekedatu dam project, warning that the move violates the Supreme Court’s Cauvery verdict and threatens the interests of lakhs of farmers dependent on the river water.

In a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister, Vijay questioned why the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission were entertaining Karnataka’s proposal despite repeated objections raised by Tamil Nadu over the years.

The Chief Minister sought the Centre’s intervention to reject Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report for the proposed balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river, saying the project went against both the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court judgment delivered on February 16, 2018.

“Karnataka has utterly violated the Supreme Court judgment by announcing the Bhoomi Puja for the Mekedatu project,” Vijay said in the letter.

He also referred to recent remarks by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, saying they had triggered anxiety among farmers in Tamil Nadu who depend on Cauvery water for irrigation.

“You may be well aware that a solution to the sensitive Cauvery water dispute was obtained after a long legal battle lasting about three decades,” Vijay wrote.

TAMIL NADU SEEKS CENTRE’S INTERVENTION

Vijay asked Prime Minister Modi to advise Karnataka against taking up any new project across the Cauvery river without the concurrence of co-basin states.

“Do not allow violation of the apex court judgment on Mekedatu,” the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said, urging the Centre and the Central Water Commission not to clear any proposal that could affect Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of Cauvery water.

The renewed confrontation comes days after Shivakumar announced that Karnataka was preparing to submit the DPR for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project to the Centre and intended to hold a foundation stone-laying ceremony once approvals were secured.

“The DPR for the Mekedatu project has been prepared, and a project office has been opened,” Shivakumar had said.

He added that the Karnataka government was identifying alternative land to compensate for forest areas likely to be submerged by the project.

WHAT IS THE MEKEDATU PROJECT?

The Mekedatu project is a proposed multi-purpose reservoir near Kanakapura in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district. Karnataka says the project is aimed at supplying drinking water to Bengaluru and generating power.

Once completed, the project is expected to provide more than 4 TMC of drinking water to Bengaluru city. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 14,000 crore and it is spread across more than 5,000 hectares.

The project still requires clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with approvals from central authorities.

Karnataka has maintained that the reservoir, located within its territory, will not affect Tamil Nadu’s share of water and could help manage surplus water during distress years.

Tamil Nadu, however, believes the project would alter the natural flow of Cauvery water to downstream regions and affect irrigation in delta districts.

POLITICAL FLASHPOINT

The Mekedatu issue has repeatedly triggered political sparring between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

While all major political parties in Karnataka, Congress, BJP and JDS, have backed the project, Tamil Nadu parties have remained firmly opposed to it.

Shivakumar had earlier defended the project, saying Karnataka would continue to honour court-mandated water releases to Tamil Nadu.

“Mekedatu is not just for Karnataka; it is for the people of the entire country residing in Karnataka. We want to provide them with drinking water,” he had said.

He had also argued that Bengaluru’s growing population, including migrants from several states, required additional drinking water infrastructure.

Tamil Nadu has consistently argued that any new reservoir project upstream on the Cauvery could disrupt scheduled water releases and worsen uncertainty for farmers dependent on the river basin.

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