Tamil Nadu farmers’ groups urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to reject proposed bilateral talks with Karnataka over Mekedatu and Cauvery water sharing.
Tamil Nadu Farmers Oppose Direct Mekedatu Talks
Representatives of several Tamil Nadu farmers’ organisations have urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay not to hold direct talks with Karnataka over the proposed Mekedatu reservoir and the continuing Cauvery water-sharing dispute.
The farmers argued that discussions concerning water releases and interstate obligations should be handled through the Cauvery Water Management Authority rather than through a separate meeting between the chief ministers. Their demand was raised during a meeting of district office-bearers of a farmers’ coordination committee in Mayiladuthurai.
Farmers’ leader P.R. Pandian said bilateral negotiations could weaken Tamil Nadu’s established position and revive political or linguistic tensions between the neighbouring states. His claim that such a meeting would be legally invalid represents the farmers’ interpretation and has not been established through a fresh court ruling on the proposed talks.
Vijay’s Proposed Bengaluru Visit Remains Unconfirmed
Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister R. Vinoth had earlier said that Vijay would travel to Karnataka on August 3 to discuss Cauvery-related issues. He later stepped back from that announcement and said the public should wait for an official communication from the government or party headquarters.
Reports have differed over which side initiated the proposed meeting. While some accounts described it as an invitation from Karnataka, another report said Vijay had sought discussions with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over the alleged Cauvery water shortfall and Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the Mekedatu project. Until an official schedule is released, the August 3 visit and the agenda of any meeting remain unconfirmed.
Mekedatu Dam Remains Major Cauvery Flashpoint
Karnataka proposes to construct a balancing reservoir and drinking-water project at Mekedatu on the Cauvery River. Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the plan, arguing that additional storage upstream could affect the timely flow of water needed by its farmers and violate the existing water-sharing framework.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the proposed project on June 19, 2026. Political parties and farmers’ groups have continued to demand that the state protect its rights through legal proceedings, the CWMA and central regulatory bodies.
The Supreme Court declined in November 2025 to intervene at that stage against Karnataka’s proposal, allowing the relevant authorities to examine the project while leaving regulatory and legal questions unresolved.
Farmers Demand CWMA Route for Water Disputes
The CWMA was created to implement the Cauvery tribunal award and the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment governing water allocation among the basin states. It continues to review releases and compliance, including monthly water requirements.
Farmers’ representatives also raised concern over reports that Tamil Nadu vehicles were being stopped near the Hosur–Bengaluru border. They alleged that such incidents could inflame linguistic tensions, though no detailed official confirmation of those allegations was included in the initial reports.
The controversy now places Vijay’s government under pressure to clarify whether bilateral discussions will proceed and how it intends to balance political engagement with the institutional role of the CWMA.
