Mekedatu project "untenable and ought to be rejected outright": Tamil Nadu CM
Chennai: Tamil Nadu has said Karnataka's proposal to construct a reservoir across river Cauvery at Mekedatu was "untenable and ought to be rejected outright" and urged the Centre against giving its nod for the project following a fresh appeal by the upper riparian state.
Tamil Nadu is opposed to Karnataka's proposal to construct a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu in that state, saying it will be affected if the project takes shape.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami wrote to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and his Environment Ministry counterpart Prakash Javadekar, reminding them of pending court cases in this matter.
The letters dated October 9 were released by the state government on Thursday.
He told them the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court "have found that the existing storage facilities available in the Cauvery Basin are adequate for storing and distributing water to the lower riparian states as per the monthly schedule prescribed by it."
"Therefore, the proposal of Karnataka to build a reservoir is ex-facie untenable and ought to be rejected outright," he said. Further, the concurrence of Tamil Nadu and that of other co-basin states has not been obtained for the project, he added.
The chief minister recalled that an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydro-electric Projects of the Environment Ministry in its July meeting had "deferred the proposal of Karnataka's Mekedatu project."
It has come to Tamil Nadu's notice Karnataka has again approached the said committee seeking approval of the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the reservoir, he said.
"The Government of Tamil Nadu once again reiterates its strong objections to the project proposal of Karnataka, as it has no right to construct any reservoir on an inter-state river without the consent of the lower riparian state i.e.Tamil Nadu," he asserted.
In his letter to Javadekar, Palaniswami recalled he had earlier written to him in July requesting the union minister to reject and return Karnataka's proposal as it was against the final order of the Tribunal and the February 2018 apex court judgment.
He told Shekhawat he had written a letter to him in July this year, requesting that the Jal Shakti ministry should not accord any clearance to the Mekedatu project.
Palaniswami urged Javadekar to instruct the Environment Ministry to issue instructions to the EAC "not to entertain" Karnataka's proposal and reject its detailed project report seeking grant of ToR to conduct environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environment management plans (EMP)."
He urged Shekhawat to take up the matter with the Environment ministry.
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US rules out use of nuclear weapons against Iran
Washington DC: The White House has reportedly ruled out the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, even as uncertainty continues over ongoing peace negotiations and a deadline set by US President Donald Trump approaches.
Issues bout a possible escalation had increased after US Vice President JD Vance said that the United States has “tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use” in dealing with Iran.
His remarks came amid rising tensions and ahead of a deadline linked to peace efforts.
The situation has attracted attention as Trump warned Iran that its “whole civilization will die tonight tonight” if an agreement is not reached by Tuesday at 8 pm.
This statement led to speculation about the possibility of extreme military measures, including a nuclear strike.
Following Vance’s comments, the White House issued a clarification distancing itself from such interpretations. In a post on X, it said, "Literally nothing @VP said here 'implies' this, you absolute buffoons." In a later statement, it added that “only the president knows” what action will be taken regarding Iran.
Literally nothing @VP said here "implies" this, you absolute buffoons https://t.co/7JU3wXMaWX
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 7, 2026
