Tamil Nadu, Karnataka CMs to meet over Cauvery issue after 14-year gap

CHENNAI: In a significant political initiative to address the long-pending Cauvery river water dispute, including the contentious Mekedatu dam project, the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are set to hold talks next month in an effort to find a negotiated solution outside the courtroom.

Confirming the proposed meeting, Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister Vinoth said Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and his Karnataka counterpart DK Shivakumar are expected to meet during the first week of August to discuss unresolved inter-State water issues.

Official sources said the meeting is likely to be held on August 3, although the date is yet to be formally announced by either government.

The proposed meeting assumes significance as it would be the first direct political engagement between the Chief Ministers of the two States on the Cauvery issue in 14 years.

The last such meeting took place in November 2012, when the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa met her Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar to discuss the sharing of Cauvery waters following prolonged disputes between the two States.

Since then, the Cauvery issue has largely been addressed through legal proceedings before the Supreme Court and deliberations of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).

The upcoming meeting is expected to focus on ensuring the timely release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, concerns over Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, and exploring a political consensus to reduce recurring disputes between the neighbouring States. Both governments are expected to finalise the agenda before the meeting.