Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speaking in the Legislative Assembly in Bengaluru on Friday.

Pointing out that Karnataka has already released more than this year’s stipulated quantum of 177.25 tmcft of the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as the storage in the Krishnaraja Sagar is full, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday sought to make a strong pitch for building the Mekedatu balancing reservoir to store the excess water.

Replying to a debate in the Legislative Assembly on damage owing to heavy rainfall, the Chief Minister said the proposed balancing reservoir would help in storing the excess water during heavy rainfall.

It would never affect the release of Tamil Nadu’s share of water, he said, adding that Tamil Nadu had no reason to object to the Mekedatu proposal. Pointing out that the proposed Mekedatu reservoir can store 67 tmcft of water, he said it would be help in mitigating drought situation if the rains fail.

He appealed to Tamil Nadu to drop its objection to the Mekedatu project as it would not harm its interests.

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Published – August 23, 2025 05:14 am IST