Told Vijay Mekedatu dam is in Tamil Nadu's best interest: Shivakumar on Cauvery row

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said he told his Tamil Nadu counterpart Vijay that the proposed Mekedatu dam project was in Tamil Nadu's “best interest”, arguing that most of the Cauvery water stored at the project would ultimately be used by the neighbouring state.Speaking at the India Today Roundtable Karnataka, Shivakumar said he had also raised the issue with Vijay during the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting at Mahabalipuram last week. Notably, this was Shivakumar's first media interview since taking over as Karnataka Chief Minister on June 3.“I told him (Vijay) very clearly, this dam is only to protect Tamil Nadu's interest and the drinking water of Bengaluru,” Shivakumar said.He said the Mekedatu project was not primarily for Karnataka and argued that around 95 per cent of the water stored there would be used for Tamil Nadu. “The Mekedatu project is not for Karnataka. It is for Tamil Nadu. At least 95 per cent of the water, whatever will be stored, will be used only for Tamil Nadu,” he said. Shivakumar said Karnataka would not be able to use the water stored at Mekedatu for irrigation and that only the 10 TMC allocated for Bengaluru's drinking water needs could be drawn.He said the project would allow excess Cauvery water to be stored instead of flowing into the sea during periods of high inflow. “This is a life-saving for Tamil Nadu, where we want to see that the water which comes out more in important times will not go to the sea,” he said. The Mekedatu project is a multi-purpose project proposed by Karnataka to build a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. Notably, Kanakapura is the hometown of Shivakumar.Tamil Nadu has opposed the project, arguing that the reservoir could affect its share of Cauvery river water. The dispute over Mekedatu is part of the larger Cauvery water-sharing dispute between the two states.According to Karnataka, the project is intended to provide 4.75 TMC of drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas and generate 400 MW of power. The project was estimated to cost around Rs 9,000 crore at 2019 prices.'WILL HONOUR SUPREME COURT'S ORDER'Shivakumar also said that Karnataka would abide by the Supreme Court's direction to release 177.25 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in a normal year. “We are bound to it, and I will honour their commitment, whatever the Supreme Court has directed,” he said.He said Karnataka was entitled to draw water for Bengaluru's needs but maintained that Mekedatu was the nearest suitable location for storing the water.The Chief Minister said Karnataka was trying to resolve inter-state water disputes through dialogue rather than prolonged legal battles. “Fighting only with the courts will not solve the problem. Sitting across the table, some solutions will come out,” he said.He cited the Tungabhadra river dispute as an example, saying he, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had met and agreed to work towards a solution to their internal water-sharing issues.Shivakumar said the three states were losing around 30-33 TMC of water in the Tungabhadra system and had agreed to form a committee to work out a solution.“We always have a positive note,” he said, adding that Karnataka's priority was to ensure more land was irrigated and support farmers in the state.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 12:18 IST