AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday, 11 November 2026 sharply criticised Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's claim that Tamil Nadu's permission was not required for the proposed Mekedatu reservoir on the Cauvery, and simultaneously questioned why Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay was not mounting a stronger defence of the state's water rights. The broadside from the opposition leader intensifies political pressure on the Vijay government over one of the most contested inter-state water disputes in South India.

Palaniswami's Charges Against Shivakumar

In a formal statement, Palaniswami alleged that the Karnataka government was misleading the public about the project's legal standing. He maintained that the Supreme Court had not granted unrestricted clearance for construction of the reservoir — a direct rebuttal to the framing offered by Shivakumar in Hassan on Sunday. Palaniswami recalled that during his tenure as Chief Minister from 2017 to 2018, he had repeatedly raised the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pressing the Centre to withhold statutory and administrative approvals for Karnataka's proposed project. He argued that Tamil Nadu's agricultural belt, particularly the Cauvery delta, faced serious consequences if upstream storage were allowed without adequate safeguards.

The Silence Question: Vijay Under Fire

Palaniswami accused the Vijay government of acting as a 'passive spectator' while Karnataka advanced its plans for the balancing reservoir. The criticism, notably, came after Vijay had written to Prime Minister Modi opposing the project — a step Palaniswami appeared to regard as insufficient. His allegation of silence therefore concerns not whether the Tamil Nadu government has acted, but whether its response has been proportionate to the scale of the threat to the state's water entitlements. The AIADMK leader called for stronger and more direct intervention to protect Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery waters and the livelihoods dependent on them.

What Shivakumar Said

The row was triggered by remarks Shivakumar made in Hassan on Sunday, in which he stated that Karnataka needed Tamil Nadu's cooperation, not its permission, to implement the Mekedatu project. He argued that the reservoir would ultimately benefit Tamil Nadu as well, and invited Tamil Nadu's representatives to visit the proposed site and engage in discussions. Shivakumar maintained that the scheme would primarily address Bengaluru's drinking water needs and that Karnataka would honour its Cauvery water release obligations. He also cited Supreme Court proceedings in support of Karnataka's position, while acknowledging that environmental and forest-related clearances remained pending.

What the Mekedatu Project Involves

The proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir envisages storing 67.16 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water. Karnataka presents it as a dual-purpose project: supplying drinking water to Bengaluru and surrounding areas, and generating 400 MW of electricity. Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the reservoir, arguing that additional upstream storage could restrict the volume of water flowing downstream and adversely affect irrigation in the Cauvery delta, where farmers depend on timely releases for cultivation.

The Broader Cauvery Dispute

The Mekedatu standoff is the latest flashpoint in a decades-old inter-state river water conflict. The core dispute turns on whether Karnataka's proposed storage would compromise downstream water availability for Tamil Nadu — a concern that has previously drawn Supreme Court intervention and led to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Authority. With Karnataka pressing ahead and Tamil Nadu's political parties competing to demonstrate vigilance, the issue is likely to intensify ahead of any fresh clearance applications. All eyes are now on how the Vijay government responds to Palaniswami's challenge and whether the Centre takes a formal position on the project's pending approvals.