Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has invited leaders from Tamil Nadu opposing the proposed Mekedatu project to visit the dam site, as the state government seeks the forest and environmental clearances needed to take the interstate water infrastructure project forward.
Shivakumar said Karnataka would not withdraw its support for the project and was prepared to explain its proposed benefits to delegations from Tamil Nadu. He also said Karnataka would honour Tamil Nadu’s entitlement to 177 thousand million cubic feet of water as specified by the Supreme Court while protecting the state’s own rights.
“Instead of opposing the project, they should come with a delegation. I will take them to the site and explain the benefits. We will not step back at any stage when it comes to protecting Karnataka’s interests,” Shivakumar told reporters.
His remarks followed opposition from Tamil Nadu Congress president Manickam Tagore and other leaders. Shivakumar said political parties in Tamil Nadu were opposing the project for political reasons, but maintained that the dispute should be addressed through the law and the Supreme Court’s order.
“Providing them with their share of water is our duty. We will build the dam and ensure that they get their water. We will protect our rights and respect theirs as well,” he said.
The Mekedatu project has been presented by Karnataka as a state infrastructure project, but its implementation depends on approvals involving forest land and environmental impacts. Shivakumar said the Centre had asked Karnataka to provide alternative land for the forest area that would be submerged by the proposed dam. The state is preparing the documents required for the clearances, he added.
The environmental approval process is therefore a key immediate step. Shivakumar said he had urged the Centre to grant the forest and environmental clearances and that the government was ready to proceed once the required permissions were obtained. No construction timeline was provided in the statement.
The dispute centres on how the project would coexist with Karnataka’s obligations to Tamil Nadu under the Supreme Court’s water allocation. Shivakumar reiterated that Tamil Nadu would receive its stipulated share and rejected concerns that the dam would reduce the neighbouring state’s entitlement.
The project also illustrates the administrative complexity of interstate water infrastructure. Karnataka’s position combines a claim over the use of land within the state with a commitment to comply with the water entitlement recognised by the Supreme Court. At the same time, the proposed submergence of forest land brings a separate approval and compensatory-land requirement into the process.
Shivakumar said all political parties in Karnataka supported the project. The next formal milestone is the submission of the necessary documents and the Centre’s consideration of the forest and environmental clearances. The government will decide its subsequent implementation steps after those approvals are obtained.
