The Mekedatu project, a significant water initiative aimed at addressing drinking water needs in Bengaluru and nearby districts, has resurfaced as Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda, while campaigning for his grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Friday in Channapatna, promised to secure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support for the project within his lifetime.
Speaking at a rally in Hodikehosahalli village, Deve Gowda said that he will get the backing of Modi for the Mekedatu project, which has faced opposition from neighbouring Tamil Nadu. “If the Mekedatu project is to happen, only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can make it possible,” he said while pointing to Tamil Nadu’s resistance as a major hurdle. He also mentioned his previous interactions with Modi, noting that the PM had been receptive to his requests in the past.
The pledge comes amid an intensifying campaign where both JD(S) and Congress leaders are vying for influence in Karnataka’s high-profile Channapatna constituency.
Channapatna lies in the Vokkaliga-dominated Bengaluru South district, a political stronghold for both Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy. The district is part of the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency, where BJP candidate and Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law, CN Manjunath, recently defeated Suresh. Shivakumar is reportedly eager to avenge this loss.
Located 99.3 kilometres away from Bengaluru, the Mekedatu project proposes the construction of a balancing reservoir aimed at generating 400 MW of electricity and supplying 4.75 TMC of drinking water to Bengaluru and its neighbouring regions.
{{/usCountry}}Located 99.3 kilometres away from Bengaluru, the Mekedatu project proposes the construction of a balancing reservoir aimed at generating 400 MW of electricity and supplying 4.75 TMC of drinking water to Bengaluru and its neighbouring regions.
{{/usCountry}}The ambiguity surrounding the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling regarding the allocation of surplus water has spurred various interpretations, with some asserting that Karnataka can tap into all excess water available within its territory after releasing 177.3 tmcft to Tamil Nadu during standard water years.
The Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT), in its 2007 order granted both states the authority to construct two dams each for harnessing surplus water. However, Tamil Nadu’s government has opposed the Mekedatu project, choosing to abstain from constructing a new dam within its borders, out of concerns that it would result in the submergence of vital forest and agricultural land.
With the JD(S) now rallying for the project, the issue has become a focal point in the Channapatna campaign, Deve Gowda said: “I have served the people of Channapatna for 55 years, providing affordable food and undertaking major irrigation projects like the Almatti, Harangi, Hemavathi, and Yagachi dams.”
Expressing confidence in his party and family’s legacy, Deve Gowda likened the difference between JD(S) and Congress leadership to “the Himalayan mountains and a small hill,” pledging to elevate his grandson to a position of statewide influence. “I will personally raise Nikhil Kumaraswamy to be a state leader,” he said.
In response, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar challenged JD(S) leaders to expedite the Mekedatu project’s completion if they are indeed serious. “Kumaraswamy said he will ensure the project takes place. Now, let them do it. Let them build it within three years,” he stated, underscoring the urgency of the project amid growing water demands.