Quick answer: Mekedatu is Karnataka’s proposed balancing reservoir and drinking water project on the Cauvery (Kaveri), planned in Kanakapura taluk just short of the Tamil Nadu border. It is in the news because on 31 October 2026 Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said 2,500 acres had been identified as replacement land for the forest area the reservoir will need.
Why Mekedatu Reservoir Project is in the news
Speaking to reporters in Mandya on 31 October 2026, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the state has picked out 2,500 acres of alternative land, including forest land, to hand over in exchange for the forest area the project will submerge. He said only about 500 acres of farmers’ land would have to be acquired, and that acquisition would begin once forest clearance is granted. The details will be uploaded on the forest clearance portal, PTI reported.
The push follows a Supreme Court order of 13 November 2025. A bench led by then Chief Justice B.R. Gavai refused to entertain Tamil Nadu’s applications against the project and called them “premature”. The court noted that only a Detailed Project Report (DPR) was being prepared and that the Central Water Commission (CWC) had made prior approval of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) a precondition.
Key facts about Mekedatu Reservoir Project
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Site | Deep gorge on the Cauvery about 3 km downstream of Sangama, where the Arkavathi joins the Cauvery |
| Districts | On the border of Bengaluru South (earlier Ramanagara) and Chamarajanagar districts, Karnataka |
| Purpose | 4.75 TMC of drinking water for Bengaluru and nearby areas, plus about 400 MW of hydropower |
| Storage | About 66 TMC (CM, October 2026); earlier project summaries said 67.16 TMC |
| Cost estimate | Rs 9,000 crore to Rs 14,000 crore (state officials, 2025) |
| Submergence | About 4,996 hectares, of which roughly 2,925 ha lies in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (2020 project figures) |
“Mekedatu” means “goat’s leap” in Kannada. Tamil Nadu argues that a reservoir upstream of the Biligundlu measuring point would affect releases to it; Karnataka says it will still deliver the 177.25 TMC fixed by the Supreme Court.
Cauvery water dispute: timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) gives its final allocation of 740 TMC of utilisable water |
| 16 Feb 2018 | Supreme Court verdict raises Karnataka’s share by 14.75 TMC and cuts Tamil Nadu’s; Karnataka must release 177.25 TMC at Biligundlu |
| 1 Jun 2018 | Centre notifies the Cauvery Water Management Scheme, creating CWMA and CWRC |
| 22 Nov 2018 | CWC permits Karnataka to prepare the Mekedatu DPR |
| 13 Nov 2025 | Supreme Court calls Tamil Nadu’s challenge premature |
| 31 Oct 2026 | 2,500 acres of compensatory land identified |
| State/UT | CWDT 2007 (TMC) | After SC 2018 (TMC) |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | 419 | 404.25 |
| Karnataka | 270 | 284.75 |
| Kerala | 30 | 30 |
| Puducherry | 7 | 7 |
CWMA was framed under Section 6A of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, to implement the tribunal award as modified by the court. The CWRC handles day-to-day regulation and meets once every ten days in June and October, when the two monsoons set in; the water year starts on 1 June.
Cauvery river and its tributaries
The Cauvery rises at Talakaveri on the Brahmagiri range in Kodagu at about 1,341 m and flows roughly 800 km to the Bay of Bengal. Its basin covers 87,900 sq km: Tamil Nadu 48,730, Karnataka 36,240 and Kerala 2,930 sq km, according to the CWC. Read more on the river’s source area in our note on Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
| Left-bank tributaries | Right-bank tributaries |
|---|---|
| Harangi | Lakshmantirtha |
| Hemavati | Kabini (Kabbani) |
| Shimsha | Suvarnavati |
| Arkavathi (meets the Cauvery at Sangama, just above Mekedatu) | Bhavani |
| Noyyal (Noyil) | |
| Amaravati |
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- Matching tributaries with their bank (left or right) is a standard NDA and CDS geography format.
- Polity questions can test the law under which inter-state water bodies are set up (the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956) and the role of CWMA.
- The Biligundlu release point and 2018 shares suit one-liner questions.
Practice MCQs
Q1. The Mekedatu project is proposed near the confluence of the Cauvery with which river?
(a) Hemavati (b) Kabini (c) Arkavathi (d) Bhavani
Answer: (c) — the Arkavathi meets the Cauvery at Sangama, about 3 km upstream of the dam site.
Q2. After the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict, how much water must Karnataka release to Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu in a normal year?
(a) 192 TMC (b) 177.25 TMC (c) 404.25 TMC (d) 284.75 TMC
Answer: (b) — the court reduced the tribunal’s 192 TMC by 14.75 TMC.
Q3. Which of the following is a right-bank tributary of the Cauvery?
(a) Harangi (b) Shimsha (c) Hemavati (d) Kabini
Answer: (d) — the other three join from the left.
Q4. The Cauvery Water Management Authority was constituted in:
(a) 1990 (b) 2007 (c) 2018 (d) 2025
Answer: (c) — notified on 1 June 2018 after the Supreme Court verdict.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mekedatu project?
It is a Karnataka plan to build a balancing reservoir on the Cauvery in Kanakapura taluk to supply 4.75 TMC of drinking water to Bengaluru and generate about 400 MW of power.
Why does Tamil Nadu oppose Mekedatu?
Tamil Nadu fears that a large reservoir upstream of the Biligundlu gauge would let Karnataka hold back water and hurt its farmers, especially in dry years.
Did the Supreme Court approve Mekedatu?
No. On 13 November 2025 it only refused to entertain Tamil Nadu’s applications as premature, since the DPR still needs CWMA, CWRC and CWC approval.
What changed in the Cauvery shares in 2018?
The Supreme Court raised Karnataka’s share from 270 to 284.75 TMC and cut Tamil Nadu’s from 419 to 404.25 TMC; Kerala and Puducherry were unchanged.
Also read on NCA: Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary | Monthly defence current affairs PDFs | CDS coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: PTI via ThePrint, LiveLaw, Down To Earth, Central Water Commission, The Week. Facts as reported up to 2 November 2026.
Featured image background: Sugan Raj S / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
