Tamil Nadu challenges central water guidelines in Supreme Court

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has called on the Central government and neighboring states to adhere to the Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the Cauvery water dispute. Speaking at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting, Vijay emphasized the need to follow the decisions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to protect the water rights of Tamil Nadu and downstream states.

In a separate legal move, the Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court to quash guidelines issued by the Union Jal Shakti ministry for assessing water-resource projects in the Cauvery basin. The state alleges these guidelines were framed unilaterally to facilitate Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam project. Water Resources Minister N Anand stated that the state has consistently opposed these guidelines, which the ministry claims are in compliance with previous judicial orders.

During the Zonal Council meeting, the Chief Minister also raised several other regional concerns, including demands for NEET exemption for medical admissions, raising the Mullaperiyar dam water level, and ensuring that southern states do not lose parliamentary representation during delimitation processes.