Mekedatu dam: PMK's Anbumani urges CM Vijay to oppose project, warns of TN water crisis
Synopsis
With Mettur Dam's customary 12 June opening in doubt for the first time in seven years — only 40 TMC stored against normal requirements — PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss has turned up the heat on CM Vijay to confront Karnataka's Mekedatu dam plan head-on. The warning: a new upstream reservoir could push Tamil Nadu's water crisis from a seasonal problem to a permanent one.
Key Takeaways
PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss on 10 June urged CM C.
Joseph Vijay to oppose Karnataka 's Mekedatu dam project at the Union government level.
Mettur Dam may not open on its traditional date of 12 June due to low storage — only around 40 TMC currently available.
This is the first time in seven years that uncertainty has arisen over the customary dam opening for Kuruvai cultivation .
Anbumani alleged Karnataka prepared a DPR for Mekedatu without Tamil Nadu's consent, calling it a violation of riparian legal principles.
The PMK chief warned the project could threaten even drinking water supplies in Tamil Nadu during low-rainfall years.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday, 10 June urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to take a firm stand against Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project, warning that its construction could gravely undermine the state's water security and further inflame the long-running Cauvery river dispute. Anbumani made the appeal while speaking to reporters at Chennai Airport, calling on the Chief Minister to press the Union government for immediate intervention during his upcoming visit to New Delhi.
Mettur Dam Opening in Doubt
The PMK chief flagged an immediate concern: the Mettur Dam, traditionally opened on 12 June every year to support Kuruvai cultivation in the Cauvery delta region, may not be opened on schedule this year. He cited inadequate water storage, noting that only around 40 TMC of water is currently available in the reservoir — significantly below the level normally required for the annual irrigation release.
Anbumani described the situation as particularly alarming, stating it was the first time in seven years that uncertainty had arisen over the customary opening of the dam. He stressed that against this backdrop, Tamil Nadu could not afford any further reduction in Cauvery water inflows.
Legal and Riparian Rights at Stake
Referring to Karnataka's proposal to construct a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu across the Cauvery, Anbumani asserted that interstate river agreements and established legal principles do not permit upstream states to undertake major projects affecting downstream states without their consent. He alleged that Karnataka had prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mekedatu project without securing Tamil Nadu's approval, calling the move 'unfair' and 'contrary to the interests of downstream riparian states.'
This comes amid a broader pattern of Cauvery water-sharing tensions that have periodically erupted into political and legal battles between the two states for decades. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and subsequent Supreme Court directives have sought to codify allocations, but upstream infrastructure projects have remained a persistent flashpoint.
Long-Term Threat to Drinking Water
Anbumani warned that an additional dam across the Cauvery in Karnataka could adversely affect water availability in Tamil Nadu, particularly during years of low rainfall. He cautioned that the state could face severe shortages in the future — extending even to drinking water needs — if adequate safeguards were not ensured. The PMK leader called on Chief Minister Vijay to raise the issue strongly with the Union government and seek its intervention to safeguard Tamil Nadu's established rights over Cauvery waters.
Anbumani Mourns Filmmaker Bharathiraja
On the sidelines of his remarks, Anbumani also expressed grief over the death of veteran Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja. Recalling a recent meeting with the director on 2 June, the PMK President said Bharathiraja had appeared to be in good health and described his sudden passing as a 'great loss to Tamil cinema and the cultural landscape of the state.'
With Chief Minister Vijay's New Delhi visit on the horizon, the political pressure on the state government to mount a formal challenge to the Mekedatu project is set to intensify.
Point of View
But Anbumani's intervention carries sharper urgency this time because the Mettur Dam's precarious storage levels give the warning a concrete, immediate dimension rather than a hypothetical one. What is notable is who the appeal is directed at: Chief Minister Vijay, a political newcomer still defining his governance identity, is being tested on one of Tamil Nadu's most emotive inter-state issues. The PMK, which has historically leveraged Cauvery politics to consolidate its delta-region base, is also signalling early that it will hold the new administration accountable on water rights. Whether Vijay converts a New Delhi visit into a credible diplomatic push — or settles for a symbolic statement — will be closely watched by both farmers in the Cauvery delta and opposition parties looking for early stumbles.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mekedatu dam project and why is Tamil Nadu opposed to it?
The Mekedatu project is Karnataka's proposal to build a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu. Tamil Nadu opposes it on the grounds that it would reduce downstream water flows, threatening irrigation and drinking water supplies, and that Karnataka prepared a Detailed Project Report without Tamil Nadu's consent — which PMK argues violates interstate river agreements and riparian legal principles.
Why may the Mettur Dam not open on 12 June this year?
The Mettur Dam, traditionally opened on 12 June to support Kuruvai cultivation in the Cauvery delta, faces a potential delay because water storage stands at only around 40 TMC — significantly below the level normally required for the annual irrigation release. According to PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss, this is the first such uncertainty in seven years.
What has PMK asked Chief Minister Vijay to do?
PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss has called on Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to raise the Mekedatu issue firmly with the Union government during his upcoming New Delhi visit and seek immediate central intervention to protect Tamil Nadu's established rights over Cauvery waters.
What are the long-term risks Anbumani flagged about the Mekedatu project?
Anbumani warned that an additional dam in Karnataka could adversely affect water availability in Tamil Nadu during low-rainfall years, potentially causing severe shortages that extend beyond agriculture to drinking water needs if adequate safeguards are not put in place.
What is the background of the Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka?
The Cauvery water dispute is a decades-long inter-state conflict over the allocation of river water for irrigation and drinking purposes. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and subsequent Supreme Court directives have set allocation norms, but upstream infrastructure proposals — like Mekedatu — have repeatedly reignited tensions between the two states.
