Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has appealed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to cooperate on the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir, saying the project can help manage water shortages while Karnataka continues to meet its legal obligation to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on Sunday, Shivakumar said Karnataka was proceeding within the framework established by the Supreme Court, which requires the state to release 177 TMC of Cauvery water annually to Tamil Nadu. He said Karnataka was entitled to build the reservoir on its own site subject to fulfilling that obligation.
“I hope that Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister knows the law of the land. No need for permission from anyone. The Supreme Court of India has already given permission. Karnataka is eligible to build the dam on its own site. And it has put a condition that we should give them 177 TMC of water,” Shivakumar said, according to a report by PTI published in Deccan Chronicle.
Shivakumar described Mekedatu as a balancing reservoir that would benefit both states, particularly during periods of water shortage. He said Tamil Nadu could benefit significantly from the project and maintained that Karnataka would not misuse the water reserve.
“Balance is called a balancing reservoir,” he said. He also urged Tamil Nadu to send a team to examine the project, adding that Karnataka would stand by its commitments.
The proposed reservoir has an important environmental dimension. Shivakumar said Karnataka had already begun the process of compensatory afforestation for around 5,400 hectares of forest land. He said the identified land would be handed over to the forest department and that Karnataka would apply for the next stage once the process was complete.
The project would still require decisions from the water authorities and completion of the applicable environmental and forest-related processes, based on the steps described by Shivakumar. His remarks did not provide a construction start date, cost estimate, storage capacity or implementation timeline for the reservoir.
The political appeal comes as Karnataka seeks to present Mekedatu as a regional water-management project rather than only an interstate dispute. Shivakumar said leaders across party lines, including BJP and National Democratic Alliance leaders, had agreed to support Karnataka’s position.
“There’s no question of fighting. The fighting days are over. The Supreme Court has given a verdict. Let us respect the law of this land. Let us work together. Let us share water,” he said.
He linked the Cauvery basin to drinking water, livestock, agriculture and industry in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala. He described the river basin as a national resource and said cooperation was necessary to support farmers and communities across the region.
The immediate next steps identified by the Karnataka government are the completion of the compensatory afforestation process, submission of the related application and consideration by the water commission. The report did not include a response from the Tamil Nadu government or confirm whether a team would be sent to Karnataka.
