TN CM Vijay urges PM Modi to reject Mekedatu dam approval, cites Supreme Court verdict
Chennai, July 28
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 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.
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.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally someone is standing up for farmers in TN! Cauvery water is our lifeline, and Karnataka's Mekedatu project would seriously impact our delta districts. The Alamatti dam case set a clear precedent—upstream states need consent. Hope PM Modi listens to reason.
I'm all for development, but you can't ignore court verdicts. The Centre should do a proper legal and technical study before even considering this. It's not about Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka—it's about respecting the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal Award and the Supreme Court. Simple.
I'm not from India, but this seems like a classic upstream-downstream tension that happens everywhere. The key is fair water sharing, not unilateral moves. Good on CM Vijay for citing legal precedents. Hope the Centre mediates properly.
But why does Karnataka need this dam? Their existing projects already use a lot of Cauvery water. Seems like they want to store monsoon flows and release less downstream. That's a violation of the Tribunal Award's schedule. Let's not politicize water—it's about survival for millions of farmers in both states.
The Union minister's reply is legally wrong. The Supreme Court didn't say consent isn't needed—it just didn't repeat every word of the Tribunal Award. CM Vijay is spot on about the Alamatti case. I hope the PM's office looks at the actual verdict, not just political convenience.
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