Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, has written to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, urging the Union government not to grant any statutory or administrative approval to Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu Dam project, contending that it would violate the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) Award and the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment on the Cauvery water-sharing dispute.
In his letter dated July 28, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the reply given by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti in the Rajya Sabha, which stated that the Supreme Court’s February 16, 2018 judgment did not expressly require Karnataka to obtain the consent of the lower riparian States before constructing any structure across the Cauvery River.
CM Vijay described the response as legally unsustainable and said it overlooked settled judicial principles governing inter-state river disputes.
Referring to the Constitution Bench judgment in the Alamatti dam case between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister said the Supreme Court had clearly held that the consent of downstream riparian States was essential before an upstream State could undertake such projects.
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He argued that this principle remained applicable to the Mekedatu proposal and could not be ignored while considering the project.
The letter also pointed out that the Supreme Court, while upholding the CWDT Award in 2018, had affirmed that States could regulate water within their territories only in a manner consistent with the Tribunal’s directions.
CM Vijay noted that the Tribunal had earlier insisted on coordinated water releases even for Kerala’s Pambar Hydro-electric Project, demonstrating the importance of protecting downstream interests.
He further cited provisions of the Tribunal Award that require mutual agreement and consultation before any action affecting scheduled water deliveries can be taken.
Seeking the Prime Minister’s intervention, the Chief Minister requested the Centre to withdraw the Rajya Sabha reply, ensure that no approval is granted to the Mekedatu project unless it fully complies with the Tribunal Award and the Supreme Court judgment, and safeguard the rights of Tamil Nadu and other lower riparian States.
He also called for any future consideration of the project to be preceded by a comprehensive legal and technical examination, stressing that the Cauvery remains the lifeline of millions of farmers and residents across southern India.
