Mekedatu Dam Project and the Cauvery Water Dispute: Constitutional and Legal Issues

Subject: GS 02: Polity and Governance

Context: The Tamil Nadu Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution opposing Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu Dam Project on the Cauvery River, citing violation of existing water-sharing arrangements.

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About Mekedatu Project

• Location: Proposed across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu Gorge in Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
  • Situated downstream of the confluence of the Arkavathi and Cauvery rivers.
• Purpose: Intended as a balancing reservoir for storing water for:
  • Drinking water supply to Bengaluru and nearby areas.
  • Hydropower generation.
• Capacity: Proposed storage capacity of around 67 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water.
• Karnataka’s Argument: Claims the project will utilize Karnataka’s allocated share of Cauvery water and improve water management without affecting Tamil Nadu’s share.
• Tamil Nadu’s Objection: Tamil Nadu contends that no new project in the Cauvery basin should proceed without:
  • Consent of co-basin States.
  • Approval of the Union Government.
  • Clearance from the Cauvery management framework.
• Reasons for Tamil Nadu’s Opposition: Fears reduction in downstream water flow to Tamil Nadu.
  • Argues that the Cauvery basin is already a water-deficit basin and water has been fully allocated by tribunal and court orders.

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Cauvery Water Dispute

• Interstate River Dispute: Dispute over sharing of Cauvery River waters among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
• Origin of Dispute: Rooted in agreements of 1892 and 1924 between the Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore.
• Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT): Constituted in 1990 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
  • Delivered final award in 2007 after 17 years of deliberations.
• Supreme Court Verdict (2018): Modified the Tribunal Award and increased Karnataka’s share and reduced Tamil Nadu’s allocation accordingly.
• Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA): Established in 2018 to implement the SC judgment and monitor water releases among basin states.
• Key Cause of Conflict: 
  • Upstream Karnataka seeks water storage for irrigation and drinking water.
  • Downstream Tamil Nadu depends heavily on Cauvery for delta agriculture.
• Water-Deficit Basin: Both the Tribunal and Supreme Court recognised Cauvery as a water-stressed/deficit basin, making equitable sharing crucial.

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