Mekedatu Row Escalates: TN Passes Resolution Against Karnataka's Cauvery Project

In a strong show of political unity, the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution opposing Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery River , urging the Central Government not to grant any technical, environmental, or administrative clearances for the project.

The resolution was moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay , who asserted that Karnataka's attempt to move ahead with the project without the consent of other basin states was unacceptable. The House also expressed support for all steps taken by the Tamil Nadu government to safeguard the state's interests and protect the rights of its farmers.

Leaders across the political spectrum backed the resolution, including Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami , highlighting a rare consensus on an issue that has long been sensitive for the state.

The Assembly recorded its strong objection to what it described as Karnataka's unilateral effort to construct a dam at Mekedatu without respecting the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award of 2007 and the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment on the sharing of Cauvery waters. The resolution stated that Karnataka had neither secured the concurrence of the concerned basin states nor obtained the necessary approvals from the Centre.

It further urged the Union Government not to grant any technical or environmental clearance to the project and requested the Central Water Commission not to examine, process, or approve Karnataka's Detailed Project Report (DPR).

The House maintained that the Cauvery basin is a water-deficit basin and that the available water has already been allocated among the basin states. As a result, it argued that no new project involving additional storage or utilisation of water should be undertaken without the consent of all stakeholders and the approval of the Central Government.

The Mekedatu project has long been a point of dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka . Karnataka says the proposed reservoir is needed to meet Bengaluru's drinking water requirements and support power generation, while Tamil Nadu fears it could affect the flow of Cauvery waters to the state, particularly during dry periods. The issue is closely linked to the decades-old Cauvery water-sharing dispute between the two southern states.

Reaffirming its position, the Assembly urged the Centre to advise Karnataka against proceeding with the dam or any other new water storage project in the Cauvery basin without the concurrence of the other basin states. The unanimous resolution underscored Tamil Nadu's determination to continue opposing the project and protect its share of Cauvery waters.