Politics
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Urges PM to Halt Mekedatu Dam Approval Amid Farmers’ Concerns
On Saturday, November 7 2026, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express worries about a Union government site inspection linked to Karnataka’s proposal to build the Mekedatu dam. Vijay urged that no statutory or administrative approvals be granted without the consent of the co‑basin states and stressed the need to safeguard sustained water availability in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery basin.
In his letter, Vijay noted growing apprehension among Tamil Nadu farmers over Karnataka’s Mekedatu reservoir proposal, which would hold a capacity of 67.16 TMC just upstream of the inter‑state border. He warned that the project could reduce flows to Tamil Nadu and adversely affect the monthly deliveries to the Cauvery basin as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Vijay cited frequent news reports of Karnataka Chief Minister meetings with officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to clear the DPR for the Mekedatu project without Tamil Nadu’s concurrence. He said the recent site visit by Government of India officers, as reported by Karnataka, has heightened anxiety among farmers who view it as a sign of progress toward a project that could jeopardise their livelihoods.
The Chief Minister referenced his earlier letter dated July 28, in which he requested that no approval be granted unless the project aligns with the Final Award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court’s judgment. He also mentioned that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on June 19, demanding a halt to the Mekedatu project and filing a writ petition in the Supreme Court to withdraw guidelines issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in December 2025 for preparing DPRs for irrigation and multi‑purpose projects in the Cauvery basin.
Vijay concluded that the rights of lower riparian states regarding the quantum and regulated pattern of monthly releases must be fully protected and that any unilateral technical evaluations or site inspections by central agencies at this stage are inappropriate.