Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister-in-charge of the Mekedatu project, DK Shivakumar, has appealed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to cooperate on the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir, saying the project will benefit both states and help manage water shortages in the Cauvery basin.
Speaking on Sunday, Shivakumar said Karnataka was acting within the legal framework established by the Supreme Court of India, including the requirement to release 177 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Cauvery water annually to Tamil Nadu. He said Karnataka was eligible to build the reservoir on its own territory while continuing to honour the mandated water release.
“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,” Shivakumar said, according to PTI.
He described Mekedatu as a balancing reservoir and said Tamil Nadu could benefit substantially from the project. “Tamil Nadu will benefit more from the Mekedatu reservoir. Balance is called a balancing reservoir,” he said.
The proposed project has long been linked to Karnataka’s plans for managing Cauvery flows and strengthening water availability, including for Bengaluru. In his appeal, Shivakumar said the reservoir would not be used to deny Tamil Nadu its allocated water. He urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to send a team to examine Karnataka’s position and reiterated that the state would honour its commitment.
“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.
Shivakumar also said Karnataka had begun the process of compensatory afforestation connected to the project’s environmental requirements. The state has identified about 5,400 hectares of forest land in other areas for transfer to the forest department, he said. Once that process is completed, Karnataka will apply for the next stage of consideration, after which the water commission will take a decision, according to his statement.
The comments place the Mekedatu proposal at the intersection of project clearance, forest compensation and interstate water governance. The reservoir’s progress therefore depends not only on Karnataka’s stated preparations but also on the regulatory decisions required for implementation and the continuing response from Tamil Nadu.
Shivakumar said leaders across party lines in Karnataka, including BJP and National Democratic Alliance leaders, had agreed to support the project. He framed the Cauvery as a shared national resource serving drinking water, livestock, agriculture and industry in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala.
He ended his appeal by calling for cooperation between the two states and said the Cauvery basin should be used to strengthen both states and support farmers. The immediate next steps identified by Karnataka are completion of the compensatory afforestation process, submission of its application and consideration by the water commission.
