The farmers’ body urges the DMK to drop its demand for the Mekedat tribunal

PR Pandian, President, All Tamil Nadu Farmers Association Coordinating Committee. | Photo credit: L. BALACHANDAR

PR Pandian, president of the Tamil Nadu All Farmers Association Coordinating Committee, on Sunday urged the DMK to drop its demand for a Mekedata tribunal, saying it would endanger farmers in the state.

Speaking to reporters here, he said that the recent resolution passed in the Assembly, which incorporated a key amendment moved by Leader of Opposition Udayanidhim Stalin seeking formation of a new tribunal on the proposal to build an equalization tank at Mekedat, was against the law and the interests of farmers.

The Coordination Committee, Mr. Pandian said, welcomed the DMK’s move to table a motion to adjourn the Mekedat issue in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. However, the farmers opposed the move demanding the formation of a tribunal at Mekedat. If the DMK went ahead with it, it would be against the Supreme Court’s order that no reservoirs or new dams should be built without permission from downstream states. It was also against the final verdict of the Cauvery Tribunal. Therefore, the DMK should refrain from its demand for a tribunal in Mekedat, he added, while expressing its protest in Parliament against the construction of a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedat.

Mr. Pandian said around 6.31 lakh acres were cultivated in the Cauvery delta in the kuruvai season of 2025. This year it has come down to 2 lakh acres. Questions were also raised about the possibilities of paddy farming during the samba season. Therefore, the state government should form a high-level committee to inspect the affected areas, he added.

Published – 19 Jul 2026 22:37 IST