Tamil Nadu Assembly unites against Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam proposal
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution opposing Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery River, intensifying a long-running interstate dispute over water sharing. The resolution urges the Union Government to deny all approvals required for the project and calls upon central authorities to halt further examination of Karnataka’s proposal.
Moving the resolution in the Assembly, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay emphasised that protecting Tamil Nadu’s water interests transcends political divisions and requires a collective approach. The House, including opposition parties, backed the resolution without dissent, reflecting broad political consensus within the state on the issue.
Tamil Nadu argues that the Mekedatu project cannot proceed because the Cauvery basin has already been subject to allocations determined through the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. According to the state’s position, the basin has limited water availability and any additional storage project could affect the existing distribution framework governing the river.
The resolution characterizes Karnataka’s efforts to advance the project as a unilateral move and contends that no new major water-storage structure should be undertaken without the consent of all basin states and the approval of the Union Government. It further requests that the Central Water Commission refrain from processing or approving Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report for the dam.
The Mekedatu proposal has been a point of contention for several years. Karnataka maintains that the project is intended primarily to address Bengaluru’s growing drinking-water requirements and to generate hydroelectric power. The state has consistently argued that the project will not reduce Tamil Nadu’s allocated share of Cauvery waters.
The latest development has also created a political dilemma for the Congress party. While Congress governs Karnataka and has generally supported the Mekedatu project there, the party’s leaders in Tamil Nadu have endorsed the Assembly resolution opposing it. This has highlighted the challenge faced by national parties when regional interests diverge across state boundaries. Congress legislators in Tamil Nadu joined other parties in supporting the resolution, helping ensure its unanimous passage.