Tamil Nadu Assembly Passes Unanimous Resolution Opposing Karnataka’s Mekedatu Dam Project
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution against Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu Dam project on the Cauvery River. The state government urges the Union Government to deny all clearances, citing existing Supreme Court judgments and the potential for severe negative impacts on local farmers.
Highlights
- •The Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Mekedatu Dam project.
- •The state government argues the project violates the 2007 Tribunal award and 2018 Supreme Court judgment.
- •Legislators urged the Union Government and Central Water Commission to deny all project approvals.
- •Tamil Nadu emphasizes that the Cauvery Basin is a deficit area where no further water utilization is permissible.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has taken a decisive stand regarding interstate water disputes by passing a unanimous resolution opposing the construction of the Mekedatu Dam. This legislative action reflects the state's firm commitment to protecting the interests of its farmers and maintaining its legal rights over the Cauvery River basin.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay led the introduction of the resolution, which received bipartisan support from both the opposition and ruling party members, including notable figures such as Udhyanidhi Stalin and Edappadi K Palaniswami. The assembly voiced its strong disapproval of the unilateral decision by the Government of Karnataka to move forward with the proposed dam project.
Legal Objections to the Mekedatu Dam
The resolution explicitly highlights that the Mekedatu Dam project violates established legal frameworks. Specifically, the assembly cited the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal final award from February 5, 2007, and the Supreme Court judgment delivered on February 16, 2018. According to the state's position, the Cauvery Basin is classified as a deficit area where all available water resources have already been legally apportioned among the relevant riparian states.
Furthermore, the house emphasized that the project has been initiated without obtaining the necessary concurrence from other basin states or receiving mandatory approvals from the Union Government. The resolution explicitly urges the central administration and the Central Water Commission to refrain from processing, examining, or granting any form of technical or environmental clearance for the project's detailed report.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly maintains that any new water storage construction in the Cauvery Basin is unacceptable as it threatens to diminish water availability for the state. While the Government of Karnataka has argued that the reservoir is intended to address the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and generate hydroelectric power, the authorities in Tamil Nadu remain steadfast in their belief that the infrastructure would severely impact their state's agricultural economy. The resolution reaffirms the state's total support for any further measures deemed necessary to prevent the construction and safeguard the livelihoods of local farmers.
