Shivakumar's Mekedatu dam pitch draws Tamil Nadu Congress fire
Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar sought quick clearance for the Mekedatu dam before PM Modi. Tamil Nadu Congress chief Manickam Tagore says it hurts farmers.
Livefeed News DeskUpdated · 2 min read
Quick answer
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar sought quick clearance for the Mekedatu dam on the Cauvery with Prime Minister Narendra Modi present in Mysuru. Manickam Tagore, Tamil Nadu Congress president and an MP from the same party, said Karnataka cannot build the dam without Tamil Nadu's consent and called the remarks against farmers' interests.
Key facts
- Shivakumar sought quick clearance for the Mekedatu dam in Prime Minister Modi's presence on Friday.
- Manickam Tagore said on X that Karnataka cannot build the dam without Tamil Nadu's consent.
- Karnataka plans to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 megawatts from the dam.
- Shivakumar offered to show Tagore the dam site, saying he did not know the project's real position.
- Former chief minister MK Stalin has called for an all-party meeting on the issue.
What did Shivakumar say in Mysuru?
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar used an event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to ask for quick clearance of the Mekedatu dam on the Cauvery. He argued that, under the Supreme Court's order, nobody has the right to stop Karnataka from building it.
By Manickam Tagore's account, Shivakumar said in Mysuru that no one could stop the dam and that the Centre should give its final approval. Karnataka wants the dam to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and produce 400 megawatts of electricity.
Why is Manickam Tagore objecting?
The pushback came from inside Shivakumar's own party. Tagore, the Congress's Tamil Nadu unit president and an MP, wrote on X on Saturday that Karnataka cannot build at Mekedatu without Tamil Nadu's consent. He called the chief minister's remarks deeply worrying and against the interests of Tamil Nadu's farmers.
Tamil Nadu lies downstream on the Cauvery, Tagore wrote, so Karnataka cannot go ahead on its own with a project that affects the state's rights. He also said the remarks ran against the Supreme Court's order and the final verdict of the Cauvery water-sharing tribunal, and that approving the project without Tamil Nadu's consent would put farmers' livelihoods at risk.
He said the campaign against the dam would continue, and that it was the Modi government's responsibility to make sure Karnataka could not lay a single brick at Mekedatu.
How did Shivakumar respond?
Shivakumar replied that Tagore did not know the actual state of the project and said he was ready to take him on a tour of the dam site if he wanted.
What are other Tamil Nadu leaders saying?
Tamil Nadu minister CTR Nirmal Kumar also opposed the project, saying it cannot move an inch forward without forest and environment clearances. MK Stalin, described by Aaro Ananda as a former chief minister, has demanded an all-party meeting on the issue. Tamil Nadu continues to oppose the dam because of concerns over how the river's water is shared.
Why is this awkward for the Congress?
The row sets a Congress chief minister against an influential MP from the same party, and Eisamay reported that it has made the Congress high command uncomfortable. Anandabazar Patrika described it as infighting, reporting that the Tamil Nadu leadership was angered by Shivakumar seeking speedy approval while Modi was at hand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mekedatu dam?
It is a dam Karnataka proposes to build on the Cauvery at Mekedatu to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 megawatts of power.
Why does Tamil Nadu oppose the Mekedatu dam?
Tamil Nadu is downstream on the Cauvery and its leaders say Karnataka cannot build the dam without the state's consent, warning that farmers' livelihoods would suffer.
What did DK Shivakumar say about the Mekedatu dam?
In Prime Minister Modi's presence he sought quick clearance and said that, under the Supreme Court's order, nobody has the right to stop Karnataka building it.
Who is Manickam Tagore?
He is the Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress president and an MP, and he has criticised Shivakumar's remarks on the dam.
