Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over a reported site inspection by Union government officials at the proposed Mekedatu dam location in Karnataka.
In his letter Saturday, Vijay asked that any further administrative or technical action arising from the site inspection be deferred.
He urged the Prime Minister to ensure that no statutory or administrative clearances are granted for Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu reservoir without the consent of co-basin states. Stating that the issue concerning sustained water availability in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery basin required attention, he noted the growing apprehension among the farming community in Tamil Nadu regarding Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu Dam Project.
The Mekedatu multi-purpose balancing reservoir, proposed primarily to fulfill Bengaluru’s drinking water needs and generate hydroelectric power, has long been opposed by Tamil Nadu on the grounds that it could alter the quantum and timing of water releases to the downstream state.
Vijay, in his letter, stated: “Karnataka’s plan to build a reservoir with a storage capacity of 67.16 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) just upstream of the inter-state border would not only prevent the flows due to Tamil Nadu but also prejudicially affect the monthly deliveries to the inhabitants of Cauvery Basin of Tamil Nadu, as stipulated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
He expressed concern over reports of meetings between the Karnataka Chief Minister and officials of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change regarding clearance of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Such developments, he wrote, have kept Tamil Nadu’s farmers in a state of “perpetual anxiety”. He highlighted that the farmers in the Cauvery delta are already struggling in the deficit water year 2026-27. Vijay also wrote that Karnataka has not ensured Tamil Nadu’s due share of Cauvery waters even on a pro-rata basis, adding to the sense of insecurity among the farming community.
Referring to the site visit by a team of Union government officials, Vijay wrote, “The anxious farmers of Tamil Nadu view the site visit as an indication of tacit movement on a project that would jeopardise their very livelihood.”
Recalling his earlier letter of 28 July, 2026, Vijay reiterated that no statutory or administrative approval should be granted unless the project is demonstrably consistent with the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and the Supreme Court’s judgment of 16 February, 2018.
He also highlighted the legal and legislative steps taken by Tamil Nadu, including an application filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 27 May. The application sought to restrain the environment ministry from granting permissions pending resolution of inter-state issues, a unanimous resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on 19 June reiterating that no clearance should be given to Karnataka or its agencies.
Moreover, a writ petition was also filed in the Supreme Court on 3 August, challenging the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s December 2025 guidelines for preparation of DPRs for projects in the Cauvery basin. The matter remains pending before the Supreme Court.
“It is vital that the rights of lower riparian states regarding both the quantum and regulated pattern of monthly releases remain fully protected,” Vijay wrote. He added that consideration of the Mekedatu DPR and unilateral technical evaluations or site inspections by central agencies at this stage were “highly inappropriate”.
Vijay requested the Prime Minister to direct the Ministries of Jal Shakti and Environment, Forest and Climate Change to refrain from further site inspections, technical evaluations or clearances without the consent of the lower riparian states, and to advise the Karnataka government against proceeding with the project without the agreement of co-basin states.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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