The Government of Karnataka had announced plans to construct a 67 tmcft capacity dam across Cauvery River at Mekedatu area of Kanakapura taluk in Ramanagar district located between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu border.
The objective of the project was to provide drinking water to Bengaluru city and nearby villages and also to generate 400MW of power with the dam.
The government had proposed to spend around Rs. 6000 crore for the dam which was submerging around 5000 acre land.
The detailed project report was also submitted to the Central Water Commission.
The Karnataka government meanwhile has been saying that the project would be commenced after receiving permission from the Ministry of Environment, Government of India.
The Karnataka government has evinced interest in the project since 1960 itself. At the same time, Tamil Nadu government also declared to construct Hogenakal project.
But because of the Cauvery water sharing dispute between both states, the projects remained pending.
Between 1996-97, duo States held five rounds of talks, and the Central Government allowed both States to take up two projects each.
In 2007, The Apex Court issued an order stating that both States can take up non-irrigation related projects that do not affect its order.
The Court stated the same in its 2018 order. After which, Karnataka took more interest in the Mekedatu project.
The Government decided to start the work by considering the feasibility report prepared between 2013 and 2019.
But the Tamil Nadu government raised objections to it. In order to clear all the doubts and objections of the Tamil Nadu government related to this project, Former Chief Minister, B. S. Yediyurappa had written a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. K. Stalin.
But the TN government which refused to hold any talks, continues to oppose the Mekedatu project. Going a step further, the government held an all party meeting where it resolved to urge Karnataka to drop the project.
Cauvery dispute: BJP in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka at loggerheads over Mekedatu Dam
3. What are the objections of TN?
The Supreme Court and the Couvery Tribunal have already issued directions about releasing the quantum of water to be released to TN by Karnataka.
TN government claims that by constructing a dam across Couvery River, the Karnataka government is violating SC order.
The TN government says that Karnataka has made several projects to provide drinking water to Bengaluru that requires around 4.75 tmcft of water annually. Therefore it is not logical to construct a 67.17 tmcft storage capacity dam only for using 4.75 tmcft water.
TN government says that it has all legal rights to stop the Mekedatu project.
