Siddaramaiah says Cauvery water likely to wastefully flow into sea this year, urges TN to help build Mekedatu reservoir

With Karnataka receiving good rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area, Tamil Nadu will receive good inflow, some of which will flow wastefully into the Bay of Bengal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday while urging the neighbouring state to come to the negotiating table and facilitate a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu at the inter-state border.

In a normal rainfall year, Karnataka is required to release 192 tmc ft of water to TN, but 665 tmc ft flowed in 2022-23. This year, already 83 tmc ft of water has flowed, he said, ruing how both states are losing water in excess rainfall years for want of reservoirs to impound the surplus water. If TN and the Centre allow Karnataka to build a balancing reservoir, it it would help the neighbouring state more, the CM told reporters at the KRS reservoir after offering pooja on becoming full.



The TN leaders, however, have been opposing the project for the sake of politics, Siddaramaiah said, and urged Mandya MP and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy to use his clout to get the permission to the state.


The multi-purpose dam will need about 5000 acres of land. Karnataka has planned the reservoir for 67 tmc feet (thousand million cubic feet) capacity, much larger than KRS dam’s storage capacity of 45 tmc feet. The Mekedatu project also involves a 400 MW hydel generating station.


If the project takes shape, it will take care of the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and nearby towns and villages for the next 100 years, experts say.

The Cauvery Tribunal has allocated 17 tmc feet of water for Karnataka’s drinking water needs. TN, on the other hand, has got 29 tmc feet for its drinking water needs.

The Mekedatu reservoir, experts say, will regulate the flow of water and whenever the State has a surplus, it will help to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru population and strengthen the water table. It will also provide water to the wildlife in Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border forests.