CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, objecting to the Karnataka government’s unilateral attempt to build a dam across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu.
The Assembly urged the union government not to grant technical or environmental clearances to the project and sought the Central Water Commission (CWC) not to consider Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of the dam. It also called for the constitution of a tribunal to adjudicate the Mekedatu dispute.
Karnataka's bid to build dam against final verdict of CWDT & SC, says minister
The resolution was backed by the leaders of various parties, including the principal opposition DMK, as well as AIADMK, Congress, VCK, PMK, DMDK and the Left parties. The TN Assembly previously passed unanimous resolutions against the Mekedatu dam during the AIADMK and DMK regimes in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
During the discussion on the resolution on Friday, LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin said the previous DMK regime, on March 4, 2026, had written to the centre to set up a tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, to adjudicate over the Mekedatu dam proposal dispute and requested that this amendment be incorporated into the resolution moved by the CM. Agreeing to this, the CM moved an amendment to his resolution, and the amended resolution was unanimously adopted.
The resolution stated that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and the Supreme Court have held that the Cauvery is a deficit basin and that its entire available water has already been apportioned among the basin states. Hence, no new project can be undertaken nor can any additional water be utilised in the basin. As the Cauvery is a highly sensitive issue, centre should advise Karnataka not to construct a dam at Mekedatu or undertake any new water storage project anywhere in the Cauvery basin without the concurrence of the other basin states, it added.
Moving the resolution, the CM said it was the duty of all political parties to safeguard the rights of farmers and the people. Though parties may differ in ideology and principles, they stand united on issues affecting the people, he said, adding that the TVK, as a conscientious government, was no different. Describing water resources as fundamental to life, he sought the House’s approval for the resolution and appealed to all parties to set aside differences and demonstrate unity on the issue.
Conveying full support to the resolution, Udhayanidhi detailed the steps taken by DMK regimes to stall Karnataka’s repeated attempts for the dam. He suggested a delegation of MLAs and MPs of all parties could hand over the resolution to the centre to show the state’s unity. Recalling the steps taken during AIADMK regimes to thwart Karnataka’s efforts to build a dam at Mekedatu, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami explained how the proposal would be detrimental to the interests of TN farmers as well as the people, and supported the resolution.
Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar (Congress) condemned Karnataka’s attempts to build the dam without prior consent from TN, pointing out that the move was against the final verdict of the CWDT in 2007 and the SC verdict in 2018.
DMDK MLA Premalatha Vijayakanth urged the state to achieve water self-sufficiency, just as it had become power-surplus, through measures such as interlinking rivers and desilting waterbodies to prevent wastage of water into the sea. She called upon the CM to lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi to assert TN’s rights.
MJK MLA Thamimun Ansari recalled that former CM K Kamaraj had laid the foundation for a dam at Rasimanal at the border of TN and Karnataka to benefit both states. The Mekedatu dam, however, would severely affect TN people, he said, adding that a section of farmers in Karnataka had also opposed the proposal.
KMDK MLA K Nithyanandan said the Congress in Karnataka was backing the project, while its TN unit opposed it. Arguing that a legal battle, rather than talks, was the only viable option, he urged the TVK government not to show any lethargy in pursuing the case despite its alliance with Congress, and to prove that TN’s rights outweighed alliance considerations.
Meanwhile, former minister Duraimurugan told reporters in Katpadi that passing a resolution would not be enough to stop the project as similar resolutions had been passed several times in the past. “Competent lawyers should be engaged to argue the case strongly in the SC, and pressure should be exerted on the union government at the appropriate time,” he said.
