Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has asked PM Modi to halt approvals for Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project.
Vijay objected to a recent site inspection by Union officials and sought a pause on further administrative and technical action.
Tamil Nadu fears the proposed 67.16 TMC reservoir could affect Cauvery water flows and its monthly allocations.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withhold statutory and administrative approvals for Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project unless the other Cauvery basin states consent to it.
Vijay raised concerns over the project's potential impact on water availability in the Cauvery basin and objected to a recent site inspection by Union government officials, The Economic Times reported.
He said the inspection could lead to further administrative and technical steps towards a project that Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed over concerns about reduced water flows into the state.
Vijay Writes To PM Modi
In his letter to Modi, Vijay urged the Centre to defer any further administrative or technical action arising from the site inspection. He also asked the prime minister to advise Karnataka against proceeding with the project without the consent of the other Cauvery basin states.
Vijay said the proposed reservoir, with a storage capacity of 67.16 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), could restrict the flow of Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu and affect the state's monthly water allocations.
He stressed that maintaining the long-term availability of water in the Cauvery basin was important to Tamil Nadu's interests.
Mekedatu Project And Cauvery Water Dispute
The Mekedatu project is a proposed balancing reservoir on the Cauvery river in Karnataka, near Kanakapura. Karnataka has maintained that the project would help meet Bengaluru's drinking water requirements and generate hydropower.
The state has also said the project would not affect Tamil Nadu's interests.
Tamil Nadu, however, has repeatedly opposed the proposal, arguing that the Cauvery basin's water resources have already been apportioned among the basin states. It has expressed concern that the proposed reservoir could affect the quantity of water reaching the state.
The project has remained a point of contention between the two states over the sharing of Cauvery waters.
