New tribunal for Mekedata won’t affect TN interest, says water resources minister

Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N. Anand | Photo credit: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N. Anand on Monday told the Tamil Nadu Assembly that the demand for setting up a new tribunal for the Mekedatu project would not adversely affect the state’s interests.

“We cannot stand idly by when the Center and the Karnataka government are trying to build a dam in Mekedat citing new guidelines. Going to the tribunal is the best approach. It can establish Tamil Nadu’s rights to surplus water and prevent unilateral decisions by the Union government,” he said.

Mr. Anand said it was wrong to say that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had rejected the Karnataka Detailed Project Report (DPR). “On the contrary, the CWMA handed over the DPR to the Central Water Commission (CWC) without offering any comments. Therefore, the threat posed by the proposed dam has not ended,” he said.

According to the minister, the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment did not definitively decide the surplus water issue, on which Karnataka subsequently filed another original petition. “We submit before the Supreme Court that any fresh dispute arising under the Cauvery water sharing agreement can only be resolved through a tribunal as provided for in the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956,” he added.

Published – 22 Jun 2026 19:52 IST