Karnataka's Mekedatu Dam Project Sparks Political Tensions with Tamil Nadu

Politics has heated up over the proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river. On the Mekedatu dam issue, state minister CTR Nirmal Kumar said that "Our chief minister, Vijay, will not allow this to happen at any cost. The central government will also follow its rules and laws strictly, as it cannot give any forest clearance, NOC or environmental clearance for this particular project." Nirmal Kumar said that "The central government will definitely not do this because it will not want to spoil the relationship between the states. This needs to be handled very carefully. Our chief minister has taken all the necessary steps to stop this project and we are sure that they will not be able to put a brick on it." Earlier yesterday, Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N. Anand rejected Karnataka Chief Minister ID2. Shivakumar's claim that Karnataka did not need any permission from the Narendra Modi government to build the Mekedatu dam on the river, stating that the permission for this project was not given by the Tamil Nadu chief minister.