Parliament Question: Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3059 ANSWERED ON 06.08.2026 MEKEDATU BALANCING RESERVOIR PROJECT 3059. Shri MATHESWARAN V S: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has taken any decision on the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water Project submitted by the State Government of Karnataka and if so, the details thereof; and (b) whether the CWMA has sought comments from the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court on the above Project and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir cum Drinking Water Project submitted by Government of Karnataka to Central Water Commission (CWC) was forwarded by CWC to Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for considering the acceptability of the project in January 2019. The DPR was also shared with the Party States/Members of the Authority from State of Karnataka, State of Tamil Nadu, State of Kerala and U.T of Puducherry for their views. The project was deliberated and discussed in the 28th meeting of CWMA held on 01.02.2024 and based on the opinion of majority of the participants of 1the meeting, CWMA decided to return the DPR back to CWC for establishing its feasibility or otherwise of the project. Subsequently, during the examination of DPR of project in CWC, it is observed that the scheme is revised with respect to the DPR submitted in 2019. Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir cum Drinking Water Project, Karnataka submitted in 2019 has been returned to the project authority with the request to submit the revised DPR in compliance with the CWDT Award and as per the extant CWC guidelines. (b) CWMA has not sought any comments on the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir cum Drinking Water Project from the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court. The Central Empowered Committee deals primarily with matters relating to forests, wildlife and environmental compliance under the orders of the Supreme Court and has no role in the techno-economic appraisal of the DPR or determination of inter-State allocation of Cauvery waters. ***** 2