Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Anand has rejected Karnataka’s claim that the state does not need permission to construct the Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery, saying Tamil Nadu will not allow the project under any circumstances.
The minister made the statement in response to questions from reporters at Tiruchirappalli airport. His comments followed remarks attributed to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who had said that Karnataka did not need to seek permission from anyone to build the dam and that the Supreme Court had already permitted its construction.
“We will never give permission for it under any circumstances. Nothing will happen as he says,” Anand was quoted as saying by Dinamalar. He also said Shivakumar could claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party had extended support for the dam project.
The exchange places the Mekedatu proposal back at the centre of the inter-state dispute over the Cauvery and the authority required to advance a major river infrastructure project. The project has remained contested between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with the two states taking opposing positions on its construction and implications for downstream water availability.
According to the report, a case related to the Mekedatu dam is pending before the Supreme Court. Tamil Nadu’s latest position, as conveyed by its Water Resources Minister, is that it will not approve the project. Karnataka’s stated position, as reported, is that the project can proceed without seeking permission from other parties and that the Supreme Court has already granted approval for construction.
The disagreement highlights the role of legal proceedings and inter-state consent in infrastructure projects involving a shared river. While Karnataka has maintained that the project should move forward, Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the proposal. The latest comments do not indicate any change in either state’s position.
The dispute is also significant because the Mekedatu project is not being treated by the two governments as a stand-alone construction proposal. The question of whether it can proceed is linked to the wider management of the Cauvery and the responsibilities of the states that depend on the river. Any formal progress would therefore remain connected to the outcome of the proceedings before the Supreme Court and to the permissions required under the applicable process.
Anand’s comments represent Tamil Nadu’s latest publicly stated response to Karnataka’s position. The minister did not indicate any willingness by the state government to permit the dam. Karnataka’s reported assertion that the Supreme Court has already allowed construction was not independently addressed in the supplied report beyond Anand’s rejection of the claim.
The immediate next step remains the continuation of the Supreme Court proceedings concerning the Mekedatu project. Until the legal dispute and the permissions issue are resolved, the two states remain publicly divided over whether the proposed dam can be constructed across the Cauvery.
