Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Urges Modi to Block Mekedatu Dam

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay has formally urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deny statutory and administrative approval for Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. In a letter sent on July 28, Vijay argued that the project would violate the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal Award and a 2018 Supreme Court judgment regarding water-sharing disputes.

This escalation follows an announcement by Revenue Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan on July 27, who stated that the state government would prevent Karnataka from proceeding with the reservoir to protect water rights. Sengottaiyan asserted that Vijay would not allow "a single brick" to be laid for the dam.

Vijay specifically challenged a recent Rajya Sabha statement by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, which suggested Karnataka does not require consent from lower riparian states to construct river structures. Citing the Alamatti dam case, Vijay maintained that consent from downstream states is a legal necessity. He requested that the Prime Minister withdraw the parliamentary reply and ensure a comprehensive legal and technical examination of the project to safeguard the water rights of Tamil Nadu and other lower riparian states.