Cauvery Delta Farmers in Thalainayar Oppose Karnataka Proposed Mekedatu Reservoir

Farmers in Thalainayar, Nagapattinam, located at the tail-end of the Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu, are raising strong opposition against Karnataka's proposal to build a new reservoir at Mekedatu. The ongoing concerns come during a year marked by a deficient Southwest Monsoon, which has already severely impacted local agriculture and heightened fears over long-term water security.

S. Venugopalan, a 70-year-old farmer who owns about 30 acres in Thalainayar, stated that crop cultivation in the area has already dropped from three crops a year to just one. He warned that if the reservoir is constructed at Mekedatu, the possibility of Cauvery water reaching these tail-end areas will be remote, potentially forcing local farmers to migrate in search of other livelihoods.

Due to the non-release of water from the Mettur reservoir, most farmers in Nagapattinam have been unable to cultivate the short-term 'kuruvai' crop this year. The agricultural situation is further complicated by high groundwater salinity. Another local farmer, R. Ayyappan, explained that because the sea is only five kilometers away, groundwater cannot be used for irrigation. He noted that the situation deteriorated significantly after Cyclone Gaja struck the region in November 2018, making agriculture increasingly unsustainable.

S. Dhanapalan, General Secretary of the Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, stated that the proposed Mekedatu dam would have a storage capacity of over 60 tmcft. He argued that this capacity would make it impossible for Tamil Nadu to receive its stipulated share of water, alleging that Karnataka currently only releases excess water.

Additionally, P. R. Pandian, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers’ Association, claimed the proposed project violates the final orders of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and a 2018 Supreme Court verdict. Pandian, who recently visited the site, alleged that iron rods have already been erected at Mekedatu as a precursor to survey works.