Karnataka will proceed with Mekedatu project, says Supreme Court has upheld its right: DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said Karnataka would move ahead with the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, asserting that the Supreme Court had already upheld the state's right to build the project subject to Cauvery water-sharing obligations.

Seeking cooperation from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, Shivakumar said Karnataka did not need to seek fresh permission from any state. "The Supreme Court has already allowed Karnataka to build the reservoir at its own site, subject to releasing 177 tmc ft of water to Tamil Nadu," he told reporters.

He said the project would benefit both states by regulating river flows and improving water management, adding that Karnataka had identified around 5,400 acres of land for compensatory afforestation and would soon submit the application after completing the process.


Stressing that Karnataka was united on the issue, he said leaders across party lines, including those from the BJP and NDA, had backed the state's position. "There is no question of conflict. The Supreme Court has delivered its verdict. We must respect the law and work together to share water," he said, inviting Tamil Nadu to send a delegation to review the project.

The remarks came a day after Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over reports that Union government officials had conducted a site inspection linked to the Mekedatu proposal. Vijay urged the Centre not to grant statutory or administrative approvals without the consent of co-basin states.

In his letter, Vijay said the reported inspection had heightened concerns among farmers in the Cauvery delta, particularly in a deficit water year. He alleged Karnataka had failed to ensure Tamil Nadu's due share of Cauvery water and stressed that the rights of lower riparian states, including the quantum and monthly pattern of water releases, must remain protected.