Tamil Nadu CM Urges PM Modi To Withdraw Centre’s Mekedatu Reply Over Legal Concerns

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the withdrawal of the Centre’s recent reply in Parliament on the proposed Mekedatu dam project, calling it “disappointing” and alleging that it overlooked established legal principles governing inter-state river disputes. In his letter to the Prime Minister, Vijay said the Union government’s response did not adequately consider the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and subsequent Supreme Court judgments related to the sharing and management of inter-state rivers.

He said protecting the decisions of judicial and constitutional bodies was necessary to maintain confidence in the dispute resolution mechanism. The controversy follows a written reply given by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti in the Rajya Sabha on July 27 in response to a question raised by PMK president and MP Anbumani Ramadoss regarding the Mekedatu project. The minister stated that the Supreme Court’s February 16, 2018 judgment on the Cauvery water dispute did not specifically require Karnataka to obtain consent from lower riparian states before constructing a structure across the Cauvery river.

Vijay objected to the Centre’s position, stating that it was inconsistent with what he described as settled legal principles governing inter-state water disputes. He argued that the reply appeared to have been issued without considering earlier judicial rulings that addressed the rights and interests of downstream states. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister referred to the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench judgment in the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh Almatti dam case, stating that the court had held that consent from lower riparian states was necessary before an upper riparian state could raise the height of a dam.

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He also pointed out that such projects require approval from the Union government. “Protecting the integrity of the Tribunal Award and the judgment of the Supreme Court is essential for maintaining confidence in the constitutional mechanism governing inter-State rivers,” Vijay said in his letter, seeking the Prime Minister’s intervention in the matter. Vijay further urged the Centre to reconsider and withdraw the Rajya Sabha reply, saying it failed to acknowledge legal principles established through previous court decisions.

He said the issue involved larger concerns of justice, federal cooperation and proper implementation of judicial orders. The Mekedatu dam project, proposed by Karnataka across the Cauvery river, has been a long-standing point of disagreement between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has maintained that the project would help meet Bengaluru’s drinking water requirements and generate other benefits, while Tamil Nadu has raised concerns over its potential impact on downstream water availability. The latest development comes a week before Vijay is scheduled to meet Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over issues related to the release of Cauvery water.

The meeting is expected to focus on water-sharing concerns between the two neighbouring states. Inter-state river disputes in India are governed through a combination of tribunal awards, Supreme Court judgments and constitutional mechanisms. Both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have repeatedly approached legal and administrative forums over the Cauvery issue, which has remained one of the country’s most politically sensitive water disputes. Vijay’s latest communication places renewed focus on the Mekedatu project and the broader question of how inter-state river decisions should be implemented. The Centre’s response and the reactions from both state governments are expected to shape the next phase of discussions on the issue.

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