Mekedatu DPR must be legally sound, Karnataka should talk directly to TN: Kumaraswamy
Synopsis
With Cauvery basin reservoirs at critically low levels and Bengaluru alone needing 30 TMC over the next six months, Union Minister Kumaraswamy has challenged the CWMA's order to release 3,500 cusecs daily to Tamil Nadu as a 'one-sided' directive — and called on Karnataka to fight it all the way to the Supreme Court while simultaneously reviving the legally grounded Mekedatu DPR.
Key Takeaways
Kumaraswamy urged Karnataka to submit a legally sound revised DPR for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir to the Central Water Commission (CWC) .
Under the Tribunal's award, Karnataka can store 30 TMC and utilise 27 TMC , with 4.5 TMC earmarked for Bengaluru's drinking water.
The CWMA directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu — an order Kumaraswamy called 'one-sided'.
Only 54 TMC is currently available in the Cauvery basin; Bengaluru alone needs 30 TMC over the next six months.
Kumaraswamy called for filing an appeal and, if necessary, approaching the Supreme Court .
An all-party meeting is scheduled for Sunday ; Kumaraswamy confirmed his party's participation.
Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday, 31 July called on the Karnataka government to prepare a legally airtight revised proposal for the long-pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, while sharply criticising the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for ordering Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu without a ground-level assessment of prevailing conditions. Speaking to reporters in Hassan, Kumaraswamy also urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to raise the Cauvery dispute directly with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.
The Mekedatu DPR: What Went Wrong and What Must Change
Kumaraswamy noted that the Central Water Commission (CWC) had returned Karnataka's earlier Detailed Project Report (DPR) and sought a revised, comprehensive submission. He asked Shivakumar and the state's Water Resources Minister to revisit recommendations made by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, who had previously written to then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the subject.
'Karnataka has the legal entitlement to store 30 TMC of water under the Tribunal's award, of which 27 TMC can be utilised by the state. The award also permits the use of 4.5 TMC for Bengaluru's drinking water needs. The revised DPR must therefore be prepared on this legal foundation and submitted to the Central Water Commission,' Kumaraswamy said.
He cautioned that blaming the Union Government or alleging approval delays would not advance the project. 'This is our water and our legitimate right. The government should focus on preparing a legally sound proposal instead of indulging in political rhetoric,' he added.
CWMA Order Under Fire: The Numbers Karnataka Disputes
Kumaraswamy trained his criticism on the CWMA's directive requiring Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu. He argued the Authority had issued a 'one-sided order' without accounting for Karnataka's own requirements.
'Out of the nearly 55 TMC of water currently available in the Cauvery basin, about 10 TMC constitutes dead storage. Bengaluru alone requires 30 TMC for drinking purposes, while another 10 TMC must be reserved for ecological needs. Was the Authority unaware of these facts, or did the state government fail to present them?' he questioned.
He also challenged the CWMA's assumption that nearly 12 TMC of fresh inflows would enter basin reservoirs in the coming days, asking on what basis that projection was made and what Karnataka's position would be if the anticipated inflows did not materialise.
Drought Conditions and Farmer Distress
Kumaraswamy stressed that reservoirs across the Cauvery basin stood at critically low levels, with only 54 TMC of water currently available — and that Bengaluru alone would require 30 TMC over the next six months. He said farmers across the basin were already in distress, with crops drying up.
'Our farmers are struggling. Crops across the Cauvery basin are drying up. We are unable to provide sufficient water even to our own farmers. Under such circumstances, how can we be asked to release water to a neighbouring state?' he said.
He expressed support for ongoing protests by farmers and pro-Kannada organisations, calling their concerns genuine and justified, and urged the state government to formally inform the CWMA that compliance was not feasible under prevailing drought conditions.
Legal Options and the Call for Political Unity
Kumaraswamy called on Karnataka to challenge the CWMA's order and, if necessary, approach the Supreme Court. 'If we accept this order without protest, it will be seen as our weakness. We must file an appeal. If necessary, we must also approach the Supreme Court,' he said.
He welcomed the state government's decision to convene an all-party meeting on Sunday and confirmed his party's participation. 'It does not matter which party is in power or who occupies the Chief Minister's office. At a time like this, every political party must stand united in safeguarding Karnataka's interests,' he said. He also criticised the ruling Congress government for focusing on cabinet expansion and fiscal pressures around the Gruha Lakshmi scheme rather than addressing farmer concerns. 'This dispute has persisted since before Independence, and it is time such politics came to an end,' he added.
Point of View
Pressuring a Congress-led state government on a dispute that has outlasted multiple regimes. The substance, however, is hard to dismiss: the CWMA's assumption of 12 TMC of future inflows, with no apparent contingency if those inflows fail, is a genuine governance gap. Karnataka's legal entitlement under the Tribunal is well-established, yet successive state governments have struggled to translate it into an approvable DPR — a failure of bureaucratic execution that crosses party lines. The all-party meeting is a useful pressure valve, but unless Karnataka arrives at the CWMA table with granular, real-time data on reservoir levels and drinking water needs, the cycle of orders, protests, and appeals will simply repeat.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project?
The Mekedatu balancing reservoir is a proposed dam across the Cauvery river in Karnataka, designed to store surplus floodwaters and meet Bengaluru's drinking water needs. The Central Water Commission returned Karnataka's earlier DPR and has sought a revised, legally grounded proposal.
Why has the CWMA order drawn criticism from Kumaraswamy?
Kumaraswamy argued the CWMA directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu without accounting for the state's own drinking water needs, ecological reserves, and critically low reservoir levels. He called it a 'one-sided order' based on unverified inflow assumptions.
What are Karnataka's legal water rights under the Cauvery Tribunal award?
The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's award entitles Karnataka to store 30 TMC of water, of which 27 TMC can be utilised by the state. An additional 4.5 TMC is permitted for Bengaluru's drinking water requirements.
What legal options does Karnataka have against the CWMA directive?
Kumaraswamy urged the Karnataka government to formally inform the CWMA that compliance is not feasible under current drought conditions, file an appeal against the order, and if necessary, approach the Supreme Court.
What is the current water situation in the Cauvery basin?
Only 54 TMC of water is currently available across Cauvery basin reservoirs, of which roughly 10 TMC is dead storage. Bengaluru alone is estimated to need 30 TMC over the next six months, leaving little surplus for release to Tamil Nadu under prevailing conditions.
