Mekedatu Dam Dispute Emerges as First Political Test for Tamil Nadu’s Vijay Government
मुख्य बातें
- •Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar announced on June 23 that the state will submit a revised DPR for the Mekedatu dam to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry soon.
- •Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly opposed the project, calling it a threat to the state’s water security and vowing legal recourse.
- •The Mekedatu project aims to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of hydroelectric power, raising concerns in Tamil Nadu over reduced Cauvery water flows.
- •The Vijay-led DMK government faces its first major political test as opposition parties rally behind the state’s opposition to the dam.
Chennai, June 24 — The Mekedatu dam dispute has flared up as the first major political challenge for Tamil Nadu’s newly formed government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin. The issue escalated after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on June 23 that the state would soon submit a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the long-proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Drinking Water Project to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The Mekedatu project, envisaged across the Cauvery River near Kanakapura in Karnataka, aims to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of hydroelectric power. However, Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the project, arguing that it violates the 2018 final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and could reduce water availability for the state, especially during the summer months when river flows are already strained.
