Supreme Court dismisses review petition by Tamil Nadu govt against Karnataka's Mekedatu project

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed a review plea filed by Tamil Nadu government against the November, 2025 judgment that declined to consider its petition against Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir cum Drinking Water project.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi also rejected the state's application for an open court hearing in the matter.

Review petition is considered by the judges in their chamber through circulation of papers without oral arguments from the counsel, as per the Supreme Court Rules.

In its petition, Tamil Nadu urged the apex court to reconsider its decision of November 13, 2025.

"We have carefully gone through the contents of the review petition and the papers appended therewith. We are satisfied that no case for review of the judgment is made out," the bench said in its April 15 order released recently.

The Mekadatu project is considered crucial for alleviating the severe water distress and meeting the drinking water needs of millions of residents in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region.

In its previous order, a three-judge bench of then Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria had called as premature the application filed by Tamil Nadu against the nod by the Central Water Commission for the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) in the matter.

Tamil Nadu had contended that the proposed project would be detrimental for the interests of the farmers of the state, who are dependent on the Cauvery river water.

Karnataka, on the other hand, submitted that in terms of the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment, the state is duty-bound to deliver 177.25 tmc of water to Tamil Nadu and if it is not affected, then they should be able to go ahead with the reservoir project, subject to requisite permissions.

Agreeing to the submission, the bench had then said, "What is being done by the order passed by the CWC is only the preparation of the DPR, that too after taking into consideration the objections of the State of Tamil Nadu, the experts of the CWMA (Cauvery Water Management Authority) and CWRC (Cauvery Water Regulation Committee)."

The bench pointed out that the CWC had further directed that the prior approval of the CWMA and CWRC would be a prerequisite for the consideration of the DPR.

The bench also emphasised that time and again this court reiterated that it should refrain from areas which are best reserved for experts.

The court also clarified that if the DPR is approved by the CWC, then the State of Tamil Nadu would be free to take such steps as permissible in law.

Karnataka claimed the project is of vital importance to regulate monthly stipulated releases to Tamil Nadu in a normal year at Biligundlu in accordance with the final order of Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal as modified by the judgment of the Supreme court on February 16, 2018.

It is important to utilise 4.75 tmc (consumptive use) of water for meeting the drinking water needs of Bangalore Metropolitan Region as allocated by this court, the state claimed.