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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157
TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2026
Environmental Clearance to Mekedatu Dam
1157. KM. SUDHA R:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) whether any Environmental Clearance is pending or denied for the proposed Mekedatu Dam in
Karnataka;
(b) whether the Government has restrained Karnataka from going ahead with the construction of
Mekedatu dam in that State in view of the fact that it would adversely affect the livelihood of crores
of farmers, especially in the Cauvery Delta districts including Mayiladuthurai, in Tamil Nadu;
(c) whether Karnataka has violated any Environmental Clearance rule in proposing to build the
Mekedatu Dam across River Cauvery;
(d) the details of Central Government’s policy stand on Karnataka’s insistence on building the
Mekedatu Dam across River Cauvery; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to form any new tribunal for resolving Mekedatu Dam
controversy between the States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (e): The proposal of Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Drinking Water Project in Ramanagara
and Chamarajanagar Districts of Karnataka was submitted to the Ministry for grant of Terms of
Reference (ToR) on 20.06.2019 in order to obtain prior Environmental Clearance(EC) under the
provisions of the EIA Notification, 2006, as amended. The proposal was considered by the Expert
Appraisal Committee (EAC), constituted by the Ministry to consider the hydro-electric projects &
irrigation projects for grant of prior Environmental Clearance, in its 25th meeting held on 19.07.2019.
Based on the recommendations of the EAC, the MoEF&CC, after examination of the matter in
consultation with the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), has decided that as the project involves inter-state
issues, Terms of Reference (ToR) for the project may be issued only after DPR of the Mekedatu project
is finalised by MoJS and approved by Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) that has been
constituted to give effect to the decision of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal's (CWDT) order, as
modified by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The concurrence of the MoJS and CWMA on the DPR of the
project is still awaited.
As per the information furnished by Central Water Commission (CWC), subsequent to directions of
Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 16.02.2018 regarding CWDT award, the Department of Water
Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR) has issued guidelines for
appraisal of water resources projects in Cauvery basin and any upcoming project in Cauvery basin
requires technical appraisal as per the said Guidelines.
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