Will stop Karnataka from going ahead with Mekedatu project: Tamil Nadu

Chennai: Close on the heels of Karnataka seeking clearance for the Mekedatu dam project, Tamil Nadu on Monday asserted that it won’t allow the neighbouring state from constructing the reservoir across River Cauvery and was taking all necessary action, including legal action, in this regard.  

Placing the policy note for 2025-2026, Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan told the Assembly that the state government had been informed by the union government that Karnataka had not yet submitted the final detailed project report.

Karnataka proposes to construct a reservoir with a capacity of 67.16 tmcft to provide drinking water for Bengaluru. However, Tamil Nadu says
Karnataka cannot proceed with the project without the permission of the lower riparian state.

TN also believes the project will obstruct natural flow of water from Karnataka. 

“The government of Tamil Nadu is taking all necessary action, including legal action, to prevent Karnataka from constructing a dam at Mekedatu or any other place in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka in violation of the final order of the Tribunal and the judgment of the Supreme Court,” Durai Murugan said. 

His comments come a month after his Karnataka counterpart D K Shivakumar asked the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to direct the Central Water Commission to clear the Mekedatu project on priority.

Durai Murugan said in the 2024-2025 irrigation year, 159.184 tmcft of water was released from Mettur dam for irrigation in the delta region. 

On sewage and industrial effluents from Bengaluru and its surroundings being let into Cauvery and Pennaiyar rivers by Karnataka, he said the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is collecting water samples from Cauvery and Pennaiyar rivers near the inter-state boundary to test its quality. 

“Similarly, the Central Water Commission is collecting samples and monitoring the water quality of Cauvery at Biligundlu,” he added.