Bengaluru To Host First Cauvery Talks Between Karnataka And Tamil Nadu In Years

Preparations are underway at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru ahead of a high-level bilateral meeting between the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments on the long-standing Cauvery water dispute, scheduled for August 3. The meeting, expected to begin at 2 p.m., will mark the first direct discussion between the two state governments on the issue in more than a decade.

The meeting is likely to be attended by Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, ministers from both states, and senior officials. The discussions will take place at the conference hall on the third floor of the Vidhana Soudha, where officials are making arrangements for the important dialogue. However, an official announcement regarding the meeting is yet to be issued.

Officials have been carrying out preparations at the venue, including cleaning work, inspection of lighting and air-conditioning systems, and other maintenance activities. Seating arrangements are being made for around 25 participants, including chief ministers, ministers, delegates, and senior bureaucrats from both states. The official emblems and flags of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are also expected to be installed at the conference hall.

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The upcoming talks are significant as the last direct meeting between the chief ministers of the two states over the Cauvery dispute was held in Bengaluru in November 2012. Although that meeting was aimed at resolving the water-sharing issue, it failed to reach a consensus. The latest initiative follows a letter from Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar to his Tamil Nadu counterpart expressing willingness to hold discussions on the matter.

The dialogue comes amid renewed tensions over Cauvery water sharing. The Cauvery Water Regulation Authority (CWRA) recently directed Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu despite concerns over water availability in Karnataka due to insufficient monsoon rainfall. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has opposed Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, raising concerns about its impact on downstream water flow.

The August 3 meeting is expected to focus on finding common ground on issues such as equitable water distribution, Karnataka’s drinking water requirements, and the future of the Mekedatu project. With reservoir levels in the Cauvery basin facing pressure and water scarcity concerns increasing, the talks are being closely watched as a possible step towards restarting negotiations between the two neighbouring states.

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