Chennai, June 1:
Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy Resources and Law CTR Nirmal Kumar on Monday strongly reaffirmed the state government’s opposition to the proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery river, declaring that its construction “will not be allowed at any cost.”
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, the minister stated that the government is actively pursuing all possible legal avenues to stall the project, under the guidance of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. He emphasised that protecting the state’s water rights and farmers’ interests remains a top priority.
The statement comes in the backdrop of recent consultations held by the Chief Minister with legal and water resource experts following Karnataka’s proposed groundwork for the project. The long-standing Cauvery dispute involving Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry has seen renewed tensions, with Tamil Nadu maintaining that the Mekedatu project violates the Supreme Court’s earlier verdict and continues to challenge it through legal measures.