Tamil Nadu rejects separate Mekedatu dam adjudicating panel

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a resolution demanding that the provision for a separate adjudicating committee on the Mekedatu dam project be removed and the matter be forwarded directly to the central government. BAP leader Anbumani Ramadoss said the proposal for a new panel was unnecessary and would undermine the state's rights.

The resolution, supported by all party leaders present, opposes Karnataka’s plans to construct the Mekedatu reservoir across the Cauvery River. Critics warn that the dam could cut off water supplies to irrigation districts and jeopardise drinking water for about 50 million people in Chennai and surrounding regions. Opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin had earlier called for the panel, but the assembly voted unanimously for the removal of that clause.

The state’s stance emphasizes that no technical or environmental clearances should be granted for the project without central intervention, and that any water storage in the Cauvery basin by Karnataka must be halted.