Tamil Nadu: CM Vijay calls for legal measures over Cauvery River dispute as Karnataka govt proposes Mekedatu dam

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday conducted detailed consultations with Cauvery water experts and legal experts on the proposed groundbreaking ceremony by the Karnataka government for the construction of the Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery River. According to a press note from the Tamil Nadu government, the meeting was held in order to uphold the state's rights and safeguard the welfare of farmers. Taking into account the details of the Supreme Court judgment and detailed legal consultation, CM Vijay advised that immediate follow-up legal measures should be undertaken expeditiously.

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Keralam and Puducherry have a long-standing dispute over the Cauvery River water, with the proposed Mekedatu dam being a new chapter in the conflict between the two bordering states. At the meeting, it was stated that since the proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery River is against the Supreme Court verdict, the Tamil Nadu Government had filed petitions in the Supreme Court opposing the project on November 30, 2028 and June 7, 2022.

It was further informed that, during the hearing of this case related to the Mekedatu dam on November 13, 2025, the Supreme Court had not granted any permission for the Mekedatu dam project and had stated that the project was still at a preliminary stage. The court also observed that only the expert body, namely the Central Water Commission, could determine whether the project falls within the ambit of the previous judgment of the apex court, and accordingly ordered closure of the cases.

Challenging the judgment, the Tamil Nadu Government filed a review petition on December 11, 2025. The review petition had undergone in-chamber consideration before the Supreme Court during the previous regime, with the judgment reserved, and has now been dismissed by the top court, the press release stated. The meeting comes after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mekedatu project will be submitted to the Centre soon, and the groundbreaking ceremony will be held after obtaining Union government approval.

"The DPR for the Mekedatu project has been prepared, and a project office has been opened. We are identifying alternate land to compensate for the forest area that will be submerged. The DPR will be submitted to the Centre shortly. Once the Centre grants approval, we will perform the bhoomi puja for the project," Shivakumar said. On the Cauvery issue, he noted, "There is a clear order to release 177 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu. We will discuss how to resolve this in the coming days. The Supreme Court has ruled that Tamil Nadu has no right to object to the Mekedatu project and that the Central Water Commission must take a decision on it." (ANI)

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