CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday held a high-level meeting with legal experts and senior officials to discuss the Mekedatu dam issue and the state’s future course of action.
Chairing the meeting at the secretariat, the chief minister reviewed the legal and technical aspects of Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river.
According to an official statement, the CM also discussed the steps to be taken as Karnataka has not released Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Officials of the Cauvery Technical Cell and legal experts briefed the chief minister on Karnataka’s proposal and the legal measures that could be taken to prevent the project from moving forward.
Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the Mekedatu project, arguing that the proposed reservoir would affect the state’s share of Cauvery water and harm the interests of its farmers.
Water Resources Minister N Anand, Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna, Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar, Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar, Advocate General Vijay Narayan and other senior officials participated in the meeting.
The meeting comes amid renewed efforts by Karnataka to push ahead with the Mekedatu project. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said their state is preparing the Detailed Project Report and plans to perform the bhoomi pooja after receiving approval from the centre.
Soon after assuming office on May 27, 2026, CM Vijay met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged the union government not to approve the project. He said the proposed dam was against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court’s judgment on the river water-sharing issue.
Vijay also told the PM that the project had raised serious concerns among farmers in Tamil Nadu. He urged the centre not to clear the project without the consent of the lower riparian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as well as Puducherry.
